In his first NCTS start this season NASCAR Nextel Cup Driver Bobby Labonte scored Dodge’s and Bobby Hamilton Racing’s first top-five finish of the season in the Con-Way Freight 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Labonte qualified his Dodge Motorsports Dodge in the seventh position earlier in the day and took the lead from Mark Martin on lap 40. He would lead for a total of nine laps through out the event before coming home in the third position. It was Labonte’s fifth top-five finish in his minimal NCTS career.

"Michigan is always one of my best tracks," Labonte said after climbing from the truck. "I think the Dodges have something now that can run with the others on the superspeedways. If I could have gotten in clean air, I might have been able to give them a run for the money there at the end."

The first caution flag waved on lap five for a spin on the front stretch. Labonte, running in the fifth position, radioed in the truck was tight off the corners, but other wise perfect.

Over the next three laps Labonte took to the outside lane and made his way to the second position before the second caution waved on lap 12.

Over the next 20 laps he comfortably rode in the fourth position. The third caution waved on lap 37 for debris and Labonte made the call to stay out while many teams made the trip down pit road.
 
NASCAR brought the field down for the restart on lap 39 and Labonte was still in the fourth position. Once again he took to the outside lane entering turn one on the restart and was in the lead coming off turn four.

On lap 48 Mark Martin challenged Labonte for the lead and took it. Labonte fell back to second place.

The fourth caution flag came out on lap 69 and Crew Chief Danny Gill made the call to come down pit road. Labonte came down pit road to the attention of the Dodge Motorsports Racing Team who changed all four tires, added fuel and made a slight air pressure adjustment. During the pit stop, an air gun malfunctioned causing trouble on the right rear and dropping Labonte to the 11th position.
 
Over the next 15 laps Labonte worked his way through the field to the 5th position on lap 88.
10 laps later the eighth and final caution flag of the afternoon waved with two laps to go in the event setting up the field for a green-white-checker finish. Labonte was running fourth at the time, once again put himself in position to challenge for the lead.
 
After a great effort Labonte was unable to challenge Johnny Benson or Martin for the win and settled for a third place finish. It was the best finish for a Dodge this season.
 
Benson won the Con-Way Freight 200 in front of an estimated crowd of 60,000 sun drenched NASCAR fans.  Martin finished second, and Labonte, Todd Bodine and Matt Crafton rounded out the top five.  The next event for the NCTS competitors is the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile on June 23rd.