Labonte crashes in Food City 500 practice 1

Bobby Labonte spun at the 20-minute mark in the first practice session for the Food City 500. He made significant contact with the wall and will almost certainly need to roll out a backup car.

Our View In addition, one of this week's favorites Kyle Busch also spun and a perennial favorite Jimmie Johnson looped down the frontstretch, but neither of these drivers made contact.

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Gilliland in second Robby Gordon car at Kansas

David Gilliland will pilot a second Robby Gordon Motorsports car at Kansas this weekend.

Our View This keeps Gilliland in the field while Bobby Labonte takes over the Racers Group ride. Keep an eye out for a sponsor on the quarter panels of the No. 04, because this car has been known to start and park in previous events.

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RPM – Yates to merge

Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced an intention to merge their companies in 2010. Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard will be the drivers and the entity will race Fords.

Our View That leaves Bobby Labonte and Reed Sorenson out of rides next year.

This has to be one of the most convoluted entities of all time since RPM is made up of a merger between Petty and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and Yates, who absorbed Hall of Fame Racing at the start of this year. The economy makes strange bedfellows, and it is not improving competition.

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Crown Royal Russ Friedman 400

Gilliland in fourth Gibbs car for three races

Earlier this week it was announced that Bobby Labonte would replace David Gilliland in the No. 71 in seven of the final 12 races this season, which left the California native out of a ride in those events. He won't sit idle for at least two races, however, as he has been tagged to attempt to qualify a fourth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Texas and Homestead-Miami with sponsorship from Farmer's Bureau Insurance, according to ESPN.com. Gilliland is also expected to run the Gibbs car at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which is not a race Labonte is scheduled to run in the No. 71, but there is no shortage of drivers waiting to take his place.

Our View Gilliland will be much more competitive in the Gibbs car than he was in the start and park Racer's Group ride.

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Elliott out, Gilliland in at Atlanta

According to a tweet from @NateRyan, David Gilliland will replace Bill Elliott in the No. 21 Wood Bros. Ford this week while Elliott heals from back problems.

Our View If you've lost track of the musical chairs, it has gone this way: Erick Darnell is in the No. 96 at Atlanta (and six more races), displacing Bobby Labonte (who is in the No. 71 for those same seven events), displacing David Gilliland who now is in the No. 21. This time of year is not known as the Silly Season without reason.

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Correction: Labonte not guaranteed to start Atlanta

Bobby Labonte will not be able to use his past champion's provisional this week since he was not the original driver entered for the Pep Boys Auto 500, according to Jayski.com.

Our View Jayski quotes the following from the rule book: "If after starting position 1 through 42 are assigned and there remains an eligible car owner whose driver is the current or a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who participated as a driver in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and who was entered in the Event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline, a 43rd provisional starting position, the "Champion's Provisional", will be assigned to that car owner."

The entry deadline is Tuesday of each week prior to each event.

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Labonte in No. 71 at Atlanta

Bobby Labonte will be behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevrolet according to FoxSports.com, and as the most recent past champion running for a team outside the top 35 in owner points, he is guaranteed to start. Erik Darnell is taking over the No. 96 in seven of the last 12 races, which left Labonte out of a ride in those events until this deal was struck. Labonte will start those seven races with the Racer's Group.

Our View David Gilliland will sit out the seven races that Labonte starts, so it looks like he was the last man standing when the musical stopped. Until the Labonte/No. 71 gets a race or two under their belt and prove to be more than just a start and park operation, they should be avoided. This week, they enter the event with a sponsor on the hood, so the Racer's Group might actually try to go the distance.

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Labonte may yet return to Yates in 2010

Yates Racing is still in negotiation with Ask.com to sponsor Bobby Labonte for 2010 and it is likely that their relationship with Roush-Fenway Racing will not comtinue next year, according to SceneDaily.com.

Our View Not sure how that effects Erik Darnell for 2010, so fantasy owners will need to stay tuned for further details.

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Darnell to race No. 96

Erik Darnell will race seven of the last 12 races in the No. 96 Ford beginning this weekend at Atlanta, according to a press release from Yates Racing. Bobby Labonte will fill the seat for the other five races. He also is scheduled to race at New Hampshire, Kansas, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead.

Our View The young gun is the first official rookie to toss his hat into next year's ring, but this might also have other implications. It has been rumored that Roush Racing and Yates have been talking about making the smaller entity a satellite team and this could be the first step toward securing a ride for Jamie McMurray in 2010 as well.

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Inspection complete; no issues

Inspection of the cars at Infineon Raceway is complete, and not issues were found, according to a tweet from @DustinLong.

Our View: The three random cars that will be taken to the R&D center for an engine inspection at the No. 9, No. 14 and No 96.

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Happy Hour stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's Happy Hour:

In Happy Hour:

Sam Hornish Jr. scraped the wall and spun
David Stremme slammed the wall; into backup
Denny Hamlin got a light stripe
Max Papis striped his car
Greg Biffle striped his car
A.J. Allmendinger striped his car
Scott Speed got another stripe
Reed Sorenson changed an engine
Bobby Labonte striped his car
Marcos Ambrose big stripe (backup?)