FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2011
________________________________________

Bobby Labonte Racing Notches Four Top-10 Finishes
Team Now Prepares for Dream 100 Week

Trinity, NC (June 7, 2011) - Bobby Labonte Racing (BLR) notched four Top-10 finishes this past weekend in six races with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS). With the outstanding performances, both BLR drivers now sit comfortably in the Top-10 in LOLMDS points with Earl Pearson Jr sixth and Brad Neat seventh. Both drivers are separated by a mere 25 points.

On Thursday evening, BLR made the short trip to Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway. The No. 44 Lucas Oil Dodge of Earl Pearson Jr. began his night with a good qualifying lap which set the stage for him to start in the fourth heat race. Pearson Jr. raced his way to a third-place finish which earned him a transfer spot into the feature.

With the third-place finish, Pearson Jr. started the feature event in the 12th position. During the race, Pearson Jr. dealt with the dry, slick track which proved hard to pass on. He was able to make his way to a ninth-place finish.

The No. 41 Red Buck Cigars Chevrolet of Brad Neat was placed in the second heat, and raced to a sixth-place finish with such a stout field of super late models present. This placed Neat in the first B-main where he was able to finish second and transfer to the feature.

Neat would started the feature in the 19th position and was ready to race. When the checkered flag fell, Neat had passed 12 cars in route to a seventh-place finish. The phenomenal run earned Neat the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger Award.

"Our Red Buck Cigars Chevrolet was hooked up tonight for the feature," said Neat "My crew did a great job tonight in preparing our car and we just kept moving forward."

On Friday, BLR traveled just a few short hours north to Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway for the second LOLMDS event of the weekend. Pearson Jr. again had a good qualifying run and finished fourth in the second heat.

This placed Pearson Jr. in the 15th starting position for the feature. The combination of hard racing and attrition would play a major role in the feature as Pearson Jr. was collected in a late race wreck. He finished in the 21st position.

Neat also had a good qualifying run, and during the third heat race he was able to race his way to a third-place finish on the high banked, three-eighths mile oval.

This put Neat in the 10th starting position for the feature. During the race, Neat held down his starting position and finished 10th, giving him his second top-10 finish of the weekend.

Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky set the stage for the third and final LOLMDS event of the weekend. Pearson Jr. began the night with a sixth-place finish in the second heat race. This place him in the first B-main where he was able to race his way to a third-place finish, but would need to take a LOLMDS points provisional.

Pearson Jr. starteded the event in the 24th position, but was on a mission to race his way to the front as he put on a show that left the fans asking for more. Pearson Jr. was able to race his Longhorn Chassis to a remarkable fifth-place finish passing 19 cars.

"Running the B-main helped my crew get an idea of what setup would be best for the feature," said Pearson Jr. "Now we just need to work on our qualifying setups so we can start further towards the front and race for a win."

Neat struggled at the beginning of the night with a fifth-place finish in the third heat race, but transferred through the second B-main with a second-place run.

Starting in the 20th position, Neat knew he had his work cut out for him but was ready for the challenge. His run came to an abrupt end on the first lap when he was involved in a four-car wreck. The damage Neat received to his Red Buck Cigars Chevrolet hindered him for the rest of the race as he finished 17th.

"It's good to see both Earl and Brad in the Top-10 in points," said Jason Fitzgerald, BLR Team Manager. "Both teams are working hard and pushing for a championship run as we head into the summer stretch of the LOLMDS schedule."

Now BLR is preparing not only the cars of Earl Pearson Jr. and Brad Neat for the Dream 100, but also separate cars for Bobby Labonte and David Reutimann. Labonte will be piloting a car furnished by Pearson Jr. and Reutimann will be behind the wheel of one of Neat's Longhorn Chassis for the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway in Eldora, Ohio. The Prelude to the Dream will take place on Wednesday evening and will be shown live on HBP PPV as a charity event for four children's hospitals.

Then Friday will set the stage for the Dream 100 which will be UMP sanctioned. Last year, Earl Pearson Jr. was unable to make the Dream 100 lineup as he finished ninth in the B-main, which was out of a transfer position.

BLR teammate Brad Neat transferred through his heat race finishing fourth which put him in the 24th starting position. Neat then had an amazing showing passing 12 cars in route to a 12th-place finish during the 100-lap feature event.