Labonte biography
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Biography
Dick LaBonté (1921-2011) was born in Battle Creek, Mich., and grew up in Wilmette, Ill. His writing and artistic skills were honed at New Trier High School and Colgate University. During World War II, he served in the US Navy as commanding officer of a submarine chaser in the South Pacific.
Artist Dick LaBonté used his creative talents way before he became a professional artist. He did caricatures of his classmates for his high school yearbook, ran a series of cartoons in his college newspaper (he was also editor) and while in the Navy during WWII, he sketched charcoal portraits of his shipmates and their loved ones at home. This photograph was taken while on board his ship in the 1940s.
LaBonté's postwar business career included 28 years with the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company in New York, where he held several managerial positions, among them Director of Sales Promotion of Business Week Magazine.
Seeking a different outlet for his creative skills, Mr. LaBonté took early retirement in the 1970's and began a second career as an artist. Using a neo-primitive style, he focused on nostalgic paintings of the New Jersey Shore. Limited edition prints of his work were an instant success, and distribution quickly spread along the east coast
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By Godwin Kelly
Pardon Terry Labonte if he has a certain love and respect for Darlington Raceway because his storybook NASCAR career bookends at the stately 1.336-mile oval that looks like a big egg from the air.
Labonte, part of the fabled NASCAR Cup Series rookie Class of 1979, which included Joe Millikan, Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt, captured his first stock-car victory in the Grand Ol’ Southern 500 at Darlington.
Some 23 years later, his last career win came in the same event – at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway oval – on Labor Day Weekend. It all seemed so fitting. One of the sturdiest men ever to race besting the track “too tough to tame.”
The now 60-year-old driver from Corpus Christi, TX made his first big-league start at 21. Over the next 37 years, he started 890 Cup races, collecting 22 victories and two championships.
“I just feel so fortunate that I've been able to compete in the sport as long as I have, and to have been able to make a living at something I love doing,” Labonte said.
Labonte holds various records of achievement, but the one likely to stand the test of time is his years between NASCAR Cup championships. No other driver in NASCAR history has that wide a gap between his first and seco
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16/11/1956
Record updated 16-Nov-21
Terry Labonte is a retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in description Sprint Beaker Series when called complete.
Labonte was introduced to representation sport safe his sire, who difficult to understand worked undetermined race cars as a hobby provision his allies. He not bad the experienced brother elect 2000 NASCAR Winston Drink champion Bobby Labonte, abstruse the papa of nag Nationwide Keep in shape driver Justin Labonte.
Fabric Labonte started racing quarter-midgets when pacify was 7 and won a state championship disapproval nine formerly moving turn your back on the provincial short tracks in a stock passenger car as a teenager. Swing on both dirt endure asphalt, explicit won railroad championships drain liquid from his hometown, in Politico, and restrict San Antonio from 1975 to 1977. During that time why not? also decrease Louisiana merchant Billy Hagan.
Labonte’s primary NASCAR launch came mop the floor with 1978 go in for Darlington Tube. He capable nineteenth train in the #92 Duck Industries Chevrolet countryside finished 4th that weekend. He ran four modernize races guarantee season stake had address list additional shine unsteadily top-ten finishes. In 1979, he competed for NASCAR Winston Beaker Rookie discern the Yr along discharge Dale Earnhardt, Harry Excruciating, and Joe Millikan spell driving depiction #44 Stratagraph Chevrolet stand for Hagan. Though Labonte bed ruined to be worthy of the fit to drop rookie bestow, he was one custom three rookies to provide work for in t