Getty Bobby Labonte speaks during a Hall of Fame ceremony.
Bobby Labonte made a brief appearance in the FOX Sports booth during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Now, he has achieved a goal by adding another event to his schedule.
Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy announced during the Food City Dirt Race on April 9 that Labonte will join him and Clint Bowyer in the booth for the trip to Martinsville Speedway. The Hall of Famer will help provide analysis during the short track race on Sunday, April 16 (FS1), and he will achieve his goal of making more appearances on the broadcast.
In the booth: @Bobby_Labonte for Martinsville and @TonyStewart for Talladega!
Martinsville is a familiar venue for the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Labonte made 42 starts at the short track between 1993 and 2013, and he finished all but three races (mechanical issues).
This stretch of Cup Series starts featured Labonte securing 14 top-10 finishes and six top-fives. He also won the 2002 Virginia 500 over Matt Kenseth after starting 15th and leading 61 of the 500 laps.
Labonte Expressed an Interest in More Booth Appearances
GettyBobby Labonte prepares for practice at Talladega Superspeedway.
Labonte has spent extensive time in the FOX Sports studios while providing analysis on “NASCAR Race Hub.” His time in the booth, for comparison, was limited to Stage 2 of the 2022 Goodyear 400.
The Throwback Weekend race featured three separate guests. Richard Petty joined Joy and Bowyer for Stage 1 while Labonte took over for Stage 2. Bill Elliott closed out the event as he joined the booth for the final stage.
The appearance was a surprise for Labonte. He did not plan on making the trip to Darlington Raceway, but the situation changed after FOX Sports asked him to be one of the guests. He headed to The Lady in Black, and he embraced the opportunity.
“So I got down there — and I’ll tell you what — I really didn’t know what to expect,” Labonte told Heavy in June 2022. “You know, I wasn’t sure. Obviously, [I’ve] been around this all my life, but I didn’t know what to expect. And I just thought that it was so much fun. I just felt like I was less nervous than I thought I’d be. And it’s obviously just kind of talking about what you’re seeing.
“And so I thoroughly enjoyed it way more than I anticipated going into it because I wasn’t sure of all the dynamics. And I got to know kind of like what’s going on and when we feel comfortable here and there. I love the opportunity, that it presented itself. And whether it leads to another one, more, half a stage, or whatever, who knows? But I felt more comfortable doing that than I anticipated. It was a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity.”
Another Hall of Famer Takes Over at Talladega Superspeedway
GettyBobby Labonte celebrates a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The addition of Labonte to the Martinsville lineup was only one piece of the announcement. FOX Sports also confirmed that Tony Stewart will be back in the booth for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 23.
Stewart is in the midst of a season in which he is spending extensive time in the booth with Joy and Bowyer. He has also provided analysis during events at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway.
The trip to Talladega is the sixth event on Stewart’s broadcast schedule, and he will replace Labonte in the booth at a track where he has one career Cup Series win. Stewart will then return to the booth on May 28 for the Coca-Cola 600.
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Bobby Labonte Achieves Goal With FOX Booth Return