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Bob Labonte

Archie Adams Sr Caraway Wall of Fame Aug2022

Brinkley secures Caraway win on induction night

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Archie Adams Sr., center, receives recognition as he’s inducted into Caraway Speedway’s Wall of Fame on Saturday night. (Courtesy photo)

SOPHIA – Blaise Brinkley returned to Caraway Speedway and won the Late Models feature Saturday night.

Brinkley, who was the 2021 track champion in the division, finished ahead of current points leader Coy Beard.

Tommy Neal was third, followed by Blake Bledsoe and Dylan Ward.

In Mini Stocks, Patrick Mullen claimed the checkered flag ahead Adam Thomas and Rudy Hartley. Mullen and Jimmy Crigger were engaged in a battle at the front until an electrical issue with Crigger’s car put him out of contention.

In the 35-lap Challenger race, Corey Rose secured the victory. Kenny Bost led for a chunk of the race but finished second ahead of Toby Layne, Brian Rose and Matthew Smith. Jaxson Casper was the fast qualifier.

In the UCAR feature, Caleb Allred topped fast qualifier Ron Mock, with Steven Collins in third place.

Prior to the racing, five new members were inducted into Caraway Speedway’s Wall of Fame. The group included Archie Adams, Sr., Bob Labonte, Banner Shelton, Ronald Fox and Wayne “Speedy” Thomas.

The 81-year-old Adams competed on the dirt at Caraway and won NASCAR division titles

at the track. Adams accepted his membership plaque then strapped into his No. 1sc Challenger division Chevy and turned 35 more laps on the Caraway asphalt.

Fox was a winner of many races and titles at the speedway as a driver and crew chief. After accepting his award, he hopped over the pit wall and finished the pre-race prep on

the familiar No. 21 Late Model driven by Brandon Cox.

Bob Labonte was the car owner for two sons, Bobby Labonte and Terry Labonte, who climbed the ranks to the NASCAR Cup championship. His ownership of cars driven by Bobby Labonte and grandson Justin Labonte at Caraway Speedway along with the support he gave to many other

drivers at the track earned him a spot in the Wall of Fame. Bob Labonte was unable to attend

the ceremonies due to health issues, but his award was accepted by his son Bobby Labonte.

Shelton died in 1976 but not before his contributions to racing at

Caraway Speedway earned him the honors.

Thomas, most just know him as “Speedy,” was one of the best-known car owners in the Modified ranks for more than 40 years. His cars won many Modified features at Caraway Speedway. His drivers included Sam Ard, Paul Radford, Jimmy Spencer, Jimmy Hensley and Billy Hensley along with three of his drivers present at the track to help with the Wall of Fame induction. Those included Hank Thomas, Satch Worley and Frank Fleming.

The track’s next racing night comes Sept. 10 with Mini Stocks, Challengers, UCARs, Legends, Bandoleros and the Grand National Super Series.

Bob Labonte with sons

Elder Labonte to be honored at Caraway Speedway

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Bob Labonte, rear, poses with his sons Bobby Labonte, left, and Terry Labonte, right. (Courtesy photo)

SOPHIA — Bob Labonte will be inducted into Caraway Speedway’s Wall of Fame on Saturday during the speedway’s 57th anniversary night.

He’ll join Wayne “Speedy” Thomas, Ronald Fox, Banner Shelton and Archie Adams, Sr. in the Wall of Fame’s Class of 2022.

Bob Labonte is the father of NASCAR Cup champions Terry Labonte and Bobby Labonte and grandfather of Justin Labonte.

Bob Labonte was born in 1933 in Rumford, Maine and turned 89 this year. He became interested in racing when he was 16 or 17 years old when he began racing at Oxford, Maine. He raced for a bit then began working on other people’s cars. When he turned 18, he joined the Navy and was stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas, as a helicopter mechanic.

Bob Labonte moved the family to North Carolina in 1979 and went to work for Billy Hagen. He was an integral part in shaping the careers of both sons and his grandson.

Bobby Labonte followed in Terry Labonte’s footsteps graduating to go-karts and then Late Models, winning the Caraway Speedway championship in 1987 while working for Jay Hedgecock Racing before moving on to the Busch Grand National series and then on to the NASCAR Cup series.

Bob Labonte still tinkers on his great grandson’s quarter midget and attended a SMART Modified event this spring at Caraway to watch Bobby Labonte compete in the Cook Out Modified.

The Wall of Fame ceremony is set for 7 p.m. with racing beginning at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s on-track schedule includes double points in the feature races. There will be a 57-lap Late Models race, 57-lap 602 Modifieds race, 35-lap Challenger feature, 20-lap Mini Stocks race and 15-lap UCARs.

In last Saturday’s results on an abbreviated card of points divisions, the winners were Rudy Hartley (Mini Stocks), Brian Rose (Challengers with four entrants) and Daniel Hughes (UCARs)

Hughes is the points leader in UCARS. Among the other points contenders in the division, two of the drivers – Josh Phillips and Stephen Trotter — were disqualified in the race.