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Terry’s First Race: The Lady in Black 1978

When Terry Labonte was only seven he started racing quarter midgets and was winning championships by age nine. Through his teenage years he moved into stock car racing and won several championships in Houston and San Antonio. This was only the start to his career in racing, though.

Things were moving along quite nicely in Labonte’s racing career, and in 1978, he won his first race with his Hagan Chevrolet, which was dubbed “The Lady in Black.” This car took him through his first start, his first win, and his final win. The Lady in Black was a prize to Labonte, a symbol of his love of racing extending all the way back to his childhood.

His first try at NASCAR came in the daunting Darlington Southern’s 500. He had reportedly never even been to Darlington before visiting there in 1978 to race. The Lady in Black took him to fourth place.

In his third season of driving, Labonte had ratcheted it up mightily, and had become a force to be reckoned with in the race car driving circuit. By 1981 he was placing fourth in the cup championship, third in 1982, and fifth in 1983. No so bad for a racer only a few years into the game. As his reputation grew as a force on the racetrack, he came to be known by nicknames such as Iceman and ‘Texas” Terry. In 1984 he won his first Grand National Title.

The winning did not stop there, though. In 1996 he topped of the season by winning his second championship, and ended up with a record breaking 513 successive starts.

None of these wins, though, can compare to his win in 1978. While it was a fourth place win, it was a win in an intimidating race, which was quite the place for a rookie to get his start in NASCAR. But, Terry Labonte proved that with passion and desire comes winning. In 2006, Terry stopped racing for good, but came back to the racetrack briefly in 2007.You thought this was good? Brace yourself: NASCAR: Bristol’s Night Race Track Facts and Stats