The world of NASCAR is mourning the loss of Bob Labonte, a legendary figure in the sport and father of racing Hall of Famers Terry and Bobby Labonte.
Born in 1933 in Rumford, Maine, Bob Labonte’s journey through life took him from the chilly winds of New England to the sun-baked tracks of Corpus Christi, Texas, and finally to the heart of NASCAR country in Trinity, North Carolina, where he passed away on April 8, 2024, at the age of 90. Labonte’s legacy is intertwined with the fabric of American motorsports. His sons, Terry and Bobby, carved their names into NASCAR history, with both entering the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame. But behind their towering achievements on the track was their father, whose influence ran deep and whose dedication to his family’s racing dreams knew no bounds.
His path to becoming a racing patriarch began in an unlikely setting. A stint in the United States Navy brought him to Corpus Christi in the late 1940s, where he would eventually meet his wife, Martha, and lay down roots. Here, amidst the sprawling Texas landscape, Bob’s passion for racing ignited—a passion he would pass down to his sons.
