RICHARD "SLUGGER" LABBE - 06/14/1968
an American NASCAR crew chief and as the start of 2014 is currently employed by Richard Childress Racing and working on the #27 Menards Chevrolet Impala driven by Paul Menard. He introduced to racing at a young age. His father, Ray, worked on cars in the NASCAR Busch North Series and often brought his son to the events. In 1984 at the age of 15, Labbe began work on the crew of a Late Model stock car team. Two years later he began working in the NASCAR Busch North Series. In 1991, Labbe moved into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, working with driver Terry Labonte. In three seasons the team captured five victories. When Labonte made the move to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup in 1994, Labbe joined assuming the duties of front tire changer and mechanic for his #5 team with Hendrick Motorsports. Labbe became the car chief in his second year with the organization and helped them win the Unocal pit crew championship and the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 1996. In 1998, Labbe joined Robert Yates Racing (RYR) when he was offered the crew chief position for the #28 car driven by Kenny Irwin, Jr. He led the team for 29 races. Irwin, Jr. earned the NASCAR Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year that year. Labbe remained at RYR through 2000. In September 2001, Labbe accepted a position with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. becoming the crew chief for the #15 car driven by Michael Waltrip. The two year union produced three wins. In 2005, Labbe moved to Evernham Motorsports and served as crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield. The team won the race at Michigan International Speedway
that year and qualified for a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Returning to Yates Racing in 2006, Labbe worked with NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett for the first 20 races of the season. Labbe missed 4 races that season due to a suspension handed down by NASCAR for an illegal sway bar mount. Labbe spent the first half of 2007 with Sterling Marlin at MB2 Motorsports but then headed to High Point, North Carolina and Bill Davis Racing for the second. Labbe began the 2008 season working with Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve helping him with the switch from open wheel to NASCAR before sponsorship fell through. In 2009, Labbe moved to TRG Motorsports leading David Gilliland in the team’s first season in NASCAR Cup series. In 2010, he was crew chief for the Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) car driven by Paul Menard in his fourth full-season of Cup. In 2011, Paul and Slugger departed the financially struggling RPM team to go race at Richard Childress Racing as a fourth team with the number being 27 and the sponsor being Menard's. On July 31, 2011, Paul Menard won his first career CUP race at the Brickyard 400. Labbe would remain at RCR as Menards crew chief through 2014. They would only be able to achieve 12 Top 5's in that span and added 38 Top 10's. Menard and Labbe was split up in 2015 and he worked with three drivers in the RCR stable. The drivers combined could only muster one Top 5 finish. Labbe worked with Austin Dillon for all of 2016 and had four Top 5 finishes, with a best of third at Talladega. Labbe and Dillon started 2017 together; but Labbe was released after just ten races. Labbe has five wins and two major wins. One in the Daytona 500 (2003) and the other at Indianapolis (2011)
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