There are almost always incredible stories about how the best icons of NASCAR got their first win in the Cup Series. One of the most interesting of them is that of the two-time champion Terry Labonte. Labonte’s first win came in the 1980 Southern 500, roughly two years after he finished fourth on the track in his first-ever Cup Series start.
Labonte started the Crown Jewel race in 10th place and did not look set to win until the last two laps. Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson, and the other Titans were the dominant drivers that the Lady in Black was courting that day. However, something completely unusual happened in the final moments.
Pearson smacked the wall of Turn 2 and Earnhardt crashed out of the blue. Third-running Benny Parsons slid down the track, taking himself out of contention. This led to a battle between Pearson, who’d managed to keep his car in control, and 23-year-old Labonte.
Whichever driver reached the start/finish line when the white/yellow flags flew would get to race to the checkered flag and win. Labonte made a pass on Pearson in the last seconds to reach the flags and cruised ahead to victory lane. The margin between the two cars was mere inches when taking the white flag.
“ I didn’t run through any oil or water or anything,” Labonte said of the reason for the anomaly that his competitors faced. “Obviously, something happened to them that didn’t happen to me.” The 1978 Darlington race that put Terry Labonte on the map How many rookies toda.
