>From NASCAR Public Relations 


FOR Immediate RELEASE
April 15, 1996


NASCAR WINSTON CUP NOTES OF INTEREST



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --- Wrapping up the First Union 400 at 
North Wilkesboro Speedway:

*** The $229,025 in winnings collected by Terry Labonte for 
taking the checkered flag in Sunday's First Union 400 was the 
highest payday of Labonte's career. His previous best was the 
5138,475 he received for finishing third in the 1994 Daytona 500.

*** Labonte's winnings included a Unocal 76 Challenge bonus 
of $129,900. It was the second-largest payout in NASCAR Winston Cup 
short-track history. Bill Elliott won 5272,700 with a 5197,600 Unocal 
bonus in the spring of 1992 in Richmond, Va.

*** Labonte's winnings also pushed him across the $11 
million mark for his career ---$11,006,830 to be exact-- fifth on 
the all-time list behind Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Darrell 
Waltrip and Rusty Wallace.

*** Although the winner at North Wilkesboro has started 
from the Busch Pole more than any other single starting position 
(15 in 71 races), Labonte's win  from the top spot in Sunday's race 
was the first time it had happened at North Wilkesboro since the 
spring of 1988. The driver then? Labonte.

*** In the last five races at North Wilkesboro, Terry 
Labonte has two wins, a runner-up and a fourth and an average 
finish of 4.8.

*** Jeff Gordon's average finish since Rockingham, (when 
his average finish was 41st), is 1.6 (three wins, a runner-up-up and 
a third).

*** Earnhardt's third-place finish in Sunday's race gave 
him his 19th career top-five finish at North Wilkesboro in 33 
races(58 percent) and his 29th top-10 (88 percent).



Jack Durbin                                   indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us
Motorsport News International                      jackd@motorsport.com
(Moderators for "rec.autos.sport.info")
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