"Time to get serious": NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte prepares fierce Modified Tour campaign

Former NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Labonte is set to return to action in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the 0.625-mile oval in North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina. In his latest Instagram post, the NASCAR Hall of Famer announced his campaign for the season's third Modified Tour race, scheduled for May 18 ahead of the Cup Series exhibition event, the All-Star Open.

Labonte, who drives the No. 18 for Hermie Sadler and Bill Stanley, announced his plans to compete in his first race for the 2025 season, the FaithFest Evangelistic Ministries 150 in a recent social media post. He posted a picture in his Instagram post and wrote in the caption,

"Time to get serious - we’re loading up the #18 [Cook Out] modified and heading to [North Wilkesboro Speedway] for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on Sunday, May 18. Green flag waves at 2pm, right before the All-Star Open. Big thanks to [Coca-Cola Racing], Hermie Sadler, Senator Bill Stanley, SS Racing, and PSR Products!"

The Hall of Famer will get sponsorship from Coca-Cola and long-time partner Cook Out. The fast-food hamburger chain first sponsored Labonte in 2021.

Bobby Labonte drove for Joe Gibbs Racing for over a decade and won the 2000 Cup championship with the team in the No. 18 Pontiac. However, after winning the title in 2000, his performance slowly declined. The 21-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner's last victory was at the 2003 season finale race at Homestead-Miami, two years before he joined Petty Enterprises.

Labonte later bounced around across several smaller teams until his final full-time season in the Cup Series in 2012 with JTG Daugherty Racing.

"Hard to believe it has been 25 years"- Bobby Labonte reflects on his championship legacy

In February this year, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced their plan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bobby Labonte's NASCAR Cup title win by releasing a content series about the milestone season with former teammates, JGR employees and sponsors. The 61-year-old driver also joined JGR for a consulting role last year and worked as an analyst for Fox Sports' NASCAR Race Hub. Talking about his legacy, he said (via a statement),

"It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since we won the 2000 Championship. In many ways, it doesn’t seem like it has been that long! That season was a special time where everything came together just right, and I have so many great memories and stories from that year – I am excited celebrate with the team and the fans one more time."

Labonte has also kept tabs on racing and participated in several series since his full-time career, including the NASCAR Whelen Euro Elite 1 Series and SMART Modified Tour. Bobby and his older brother, Terry Labonte, along with Kyle and Kurt Busch and the only two siblings to have both won the Cup championships.