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FOX Sports has unveiled a stacked lineup for NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend. The Goodyear 400 booth on May 8 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1) will feature appearances by “The King” Richard Petty, Bobby Labonte, and Bill Elliott.
FOX Sports made the announcements during a rain delay on May 1. Mike Joy revealed that Petty will join him and Clint Bowyer in the booth for the first stage of the Cup Series race. Labonte, who works as an analyst for FOX Sports, will take over the guest spot during the second stage. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville will round out the guest appearances by joining for the third stage.
Throwback Weekend will mark the biggest move by FOX Sports during this unique Cup Series season. The broadcast partner has featured numerous guests such as Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, but the race at Darlington Raceway will mark the first time in 2022 that FOX Sports has brought multiple guests in to help call the action.
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This Trio Has Extensive Success at Darlington Raceway
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GettyRichard Petty drives the No. 43 prior to the 2017 Southern 500.
The move to put Petty, Labonte, and Elliott at Darlington is fitting. All three Hall of Famers have reached Victory Lane at The Lady in Black while combining for a total of 52 top-five finishes.
Labonte has the least experience at the track with only 33 starts in the Cup Series. He won the second race at Darlington while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2000. He also posted 11 top-10 finishes and five top-fives.
Petty, who holds the all-time record with 200 wins, only registered three at Darlington. He captured the first trip to the track in 1966 before sweeping the 2017 season. Petty also started on the pole four separate times.
Elliott achieved the most success at Darlington during his Cup Series career. He posted 22 top-five finishes (42.3% of his starts), and he reached Victory Lane five times. This stat line includes a season sweep in 1985 while driving the No. 9 Coors Ford.
Elliott Will Watch 1 of His Schemes Compete
While the three Hall of Famers help call the action, they will watch as numerous tribute schemes make laps around the South Carolina track. Elliott, in particular, will watch as one of his most famous schemes competes for the win.
23XI Racing announced on April 29 that Kurt Busch will bring back Elliott’s McDonald’s scheme from the 1996 Daytona 500. The No. 45 Toyota will feature the special look for Throwback Weekend as Busch pursues his first Cup Series win at The Lady in Black. His previous best finish is a runner-up behind Ricky Craven in 2003.
There will also be a Labonte tribute scheme at Darlington Raceway, but it will hit the track on Saturday, May 7. Ty Gibbs will drive the No. 54 Toyota Supra during the Xfinity Series race, and he will use Labonte’s “Shark” Interstate Batteries scheme from the 2002 Cup Series season.
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