FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2011

Bobby Labonte Racing Prepares for Commonwealth 100
Team Collects Pair of Top-10 Finishes at Indiana Icebreaker

Trinity, NC (April 12, 2011) - Bobby Labonte Racing (BLR) made the return trip to the rescheduled Indiana Icebreaker in Brownstown (Ind.) last weekend and made the most of their long journey. Both Earl Pearson Jr. and Brad Neat were able to maneuver their way through the field of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers to top-10 finishes among 49 of the country's best drivers. Now BLR prepares for the Commonwealth 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica (Va.) this weekend. The event will be sanctioned by the World of Outlaws.

On Saturday, April 9 the No. 44 Lucas Oil Dodge of Earl Pearson Jr. made his way to Brownstown Speedway, a track where he has won twice at since 2006. In his heat race, Pearson Jr. finished in the fifth position, just one spot out of a transfer position. He started the second B-main on the front row which gave Pearson Jr. a clear track to work with. He went on to win the B-main and gain valuable insight on the track that the crew applied to his Longhorn Chassis.

Pearson Jr. started the feature event in the 18th position. Using a new setup, Pearson Jr. had one of the fastest cars in the field. He quickly picked off cars until he reached Don O'Neal. Both Pearson Jr. and O'Neal battled for many laps, but Pearson Jr. had to settle for third. The Lucas Oil Dodge team did advance 15 spots, earning Pearson Jr. the Hard Charger Award for the second consecutive race.

"Jason (Fitzgerald) and the team were able to put a near perfect setup under this Longhorn Chassis," said Pearson Jr., "The car was on rails in the feature. We passed a lot of cars tonight, but came up a bit short. It's still a good point's night."

Brad Neat and the No. 41 Red Buck Cigars Chevrolet team were fast off the hauler in Indiana. The team finished second in their heat race and lined up 11th for the main event. During the feature, Neat was able to collect another top-10 finish on the tour this season after finishing in the eighth spot. He is now seventh in the point standings.

"Tonight was one of my best finishes at Brownstown," said Neat, "It was a pretty good weekend, a solid one for us. We are right up there in the points and hopefully can continue this momentum."

The team is now focused on heading to Virginia. Last year Pearson Jr. finished the Commonwealth 100 in the 11th position while Neat finished 21st. The team will not be racing for points this weekend, but rather for the win. They return to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series April 29 for an event in Bedford, Pennsylvania.