CHARLOTTE – Underscoring the magnitude of the honor, Terry Labonte struggled to keep his composure a few times during his NASCAR Hall of Fame induction speech Saturday night.
During a career that spanned four decades, the two-time champion of NASCAR’s premier series became known as the “Iceman” for his cool demeanor inside the car.
He added another moniker – “Iron Man” – for making 655 consecutive starts in a career marked by its consistency. His plainspoken style was overshadowed by veteran contemporaries such as Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace, but Labonte built a loyal fan following while becoming one of the more respected drivers in NASCAR.
Born: Nov. 16, 1958
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
The career: His first and last of 22 career victories came in the Southern 500 (1980 and 2003). … Holds record for longest period between championships (1984, ’96). … Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. … His 361 top 10s rank 10th all time.
The quote: “I got to do a lot of cool things, got to go a lot of places, and be introduced as a two‑time NASCAR champion. But I’ll tell you what: It’s going to be a whole lot better introduced as a NASCAR Hall of Famer.” – Terry Labonte