TribBlog: Perry Finishes 23rd
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The #71 “Texans for Rick Perry” car driven by NASCAR racer Bobby Labonte finally had its day on the track in this afternoon's Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Starting in 41st, Labonte ended up finishing 23rd, making it one of his best races in a long time. Labonte's result was helped by a nine-car wreck with 17 laps to go that wiped out some of the leading competition, including pole-starter Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. The ultimate winner was Denny Hamlin.
Perry’s campaign forked over $225,000 to sponsor Labonte’s car. An announcement was made, and Labonte's car, emblazoned with Perry campaign logos, was unveiled on April 6. Since then, it has been in campaign mode, traveling the state in anticipation of the race, which was scheduled for yesterday but was delayed by the weather.
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