Catchfence

AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 10, 2011) – - A newly repaved and reconfigured one-mile Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) will be an unknown to Bobby Labonte and his fellow competitors leading up to the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday.

“I liked the track a lot before and I’m not really sure what it is going to be like with the new asphalt,” said Labonte, who will have the Wounded Warrior Project front and center on JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Toyota Camry for a second week in a row thanks in part to The Clorox Company. “I feel good about our test there and we learned a lot. We were pretty good without making a qualifying run compared to the guys that made qualifying runs.”

With a positive outlook on this weekend, Labonte aims to add to his three top-five, nine top-10 finishes and pole award he has collected at PIR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“I think we are going to Phoenix with positive attitude,” said Labonte, who finished 21st at PIR earlier this season. “Shorter tracks have been better for us than big tracks. It’s going to be hard to see what the track is going to be like. It’s going to be different than what we tested. It will be a matter of taking Friday to make sure we have the right setup in it.”

As Labonte’s team searches for the formula for a successful weekend, the team also continues to raise awareness about the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Labonte featured the Wounded Warrior Project primary logo on his car for the first time at Texas Motor Speedway as a part of their Believe in Heroes TM campaign (BIH). The two-month BIH campaign honors the sacrifices of those who have answered the call to serve in the ten years that followed the events of Sept 11th through a series of special events and initiatives around the country.

“Believe in Heroes TM is giving Americans an opportunity to give back to the people who have served our country,” Labonte said. “To find out more about Wounded Warrior Project’s Believe in Heroes campaign, fans can visit www.believeinheroes.org.”

Fans can also make a donation to Wounded Warrior Project by simply dial **HERO, which is **4376 on a mobile phone to donate $10.

The WWP is one of a few things Labonte is spreading the word about this week. Being a Coca-Cola Racing Family Driver, Labonte is helping Coca-Cola with an important initiative. Polar Bears have been a big part of the Coca-Cola brand for decades. Now, Coke and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are partnering in a campaign to help protect the polar bears’ Arctic home. This Holiday season, Coke is turning its iconic red cans white to help raise awareness and funds for polar bear conservation efforts.

As Coke turns their cans white, Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing have turned the roof of their car white to signify their support. Fans can get in on the action by using Coke package codes to text a personal $1 donation to WWF or by donating online at ArcticHome.com. For every fan that donates, Coke will match it up to $1 million. Fans can visit ArcticHome.com for more information and to learn more about the polar bear and its habitat.

“We’re 100% behind Coca-Cola’s efforts to save the Arctic Home of endangered polar bears and it’s cool we’re running a white roof to help draw attention on how fans can help conserve the polar bear’s home ,” Labonte said. “To find out how you can help, visit www.ArticHome.com.”

Live coverage of the event on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. ET. Sirius XM and MRN Radio will also carry the race.

-JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release