Labonte needs to get back on the winning track

Despite a second-placed finish behind Steve Park at Rockingham last month, Labonte was taken out of the Daytona 500 by somersaulting team mate Tony Stewart and his efforts at Las Vegas last weekend were scuppered by mechanical problems. As a result, he languishes outside the top ten in the points standings.

The high banks of Atlanta, where the cars run without the power-sapping restrictor plates, makes it the fastest venue on the Winston Cup tour. Qualifying speeds should be in the 196-198mph bracket, and Labonte is a renowned master of the 1.5-mile track.

"We're really looking forward to Atlanta, I guess it's one of those types of places that I have always liked from day one," said Labonte. "You get to go really fast there, you can haul the mail off in the corners if your car is right and you can get right back on the gas and go.

"It's got enough banking in the corners to hold you up. It's just one of those types of racetracks that I like and I always enjoy going there. We've got a good set-up for it."

Labonte, who races a Pontiac Grand Prix for the Joe Gibbs team, is 164 points off the leading pace going into this weekend's race.

"We haven't started the season the way we wanted to, but still we're not out of anything yet," added Labonte. "We haven't given up on anything but we have dug ourselves a pretty good hole so far this season. We'll just have to go to Atlanta and see what we can do now."

NASCAR will be keeping a close eye on the Ford posse this weekend, as the Blue Oval feels it needs a helping hand from the rule makers to have a chance of winning races.