Bob Labonte obit

Bob Labonte, father of NASCAR greats Terry and Bobby Labonte, has died

Tributes from around the racing world poured in after the announcement. 

He was not on the list.

WASHINGTON — Bob Labonte, the father of NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby and Terry Labonte, died this week, his family announced on Tuesday.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Bobby Labonte released the following statement about his dad's passing:

"This week, Terry and I lost our Dad. To many of you who knew him around the garage, you know he was larger than life. To us he was our Dad and also a crew chief, a mentor, our biggest fan, our motivation at times, and our hero. He and our Mom dedicated their lives to our racing careers and to our family. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Dad, although we know he is in a far better place. We thank everyone for their support during this difficult time."

He is survived by his two sons, Terry Labonte, 67, and Bobby Labonte, 59.

Tributes from around the racing world poured in after the announcement.

"Our deepest condolences, Bobby," Joe Gibbs Racing wrote. "We will be praying for you and your family during this difficult time."

Richard Petty wrote that Bob Labonte "was instrumental in shaping the careers of his sons, Terry and Bobby, and his contributions to the sports won't be forgotten."

"NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bob Labonte, the patriarch of the Labonte family," the company said in a statement. "Bob was a champion owner and crew chief whose guidance helped lead sons Terry and Bobby into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He will be missed."

Ahead of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas, Joe Gibbs was honored with giving the pre-race invocation. Before bowing his head in prayer, Gibbs mentioned the Labonte family who lost their patriarch, former NASCAR team owner and crew chief, Bob Labonte last week.

Of course, Bobby Labonte raced for Joe Gibbs for a decade. In the famous Interstate Batteries scheme, Labonte went on to win a lot of races, and of course, a championship with JGR. The Labonte family means a lot to that organization.

Coach Gibbs made sure to mention Bob’s passing before the invocation.

“If we could before we pray if we could remember the Labonte family, Bob Labonte went home last week.”