The "Iron Man" is Terry's nickname. He earned it by beating Richard Petty's record of starting in 513 consecutive races. Despite breaking his hand in his 1996 Championship season, Terry had not missed a race since January 1979. His determination and patient style of racing will keep him in the victory lane for years to come. Terry Labonte, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Kellogg's Corn Flakes Chevrolet, followed up his 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship with a sixth-place overall finish in 1997. It may not have been quite what Labonte had hoped for, but with a win at Talladega and 20 top-10s, 1997 would have to rank among the veteran's best seasons.

Since his NASCAR debut in 1978, after burning up the Texas quarter-midget circuit for 14 years, Terry Labonte has always been cool under pressure. During his 1984 NASCAR championship season, Terry's unflappable composure prompted one reporter to call him "Ice Man," a nickname he still keeps today. After giving Terry his start in NASCAR racing in September, 1978, car owner Billy Hagan maintained one of the longest relationships with his driver in the sport's history. In 12 seasons with Hagan, Terry drove 333 races.

In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports 1994, Terry finished seventh in the final point standings with 14 top-10 finishes. He set a personal single-season best for wins at Richmond, Phoenix and North Wilkesboro and for winnings of $1,125,921.

In 1995, Terry matched his 1994 career best with three wins in one season. He had victories at Richmond, Pocono and Bristol and topped his single-season winnings mark of the previous year -- $1,558,659. He also finished sixth in the final point standings.

In mid-April of 1996, Terry equaled and surpassed Richard Petty's all-time NASCAR record for consecutive starts with his 513th straight start, at North Wilkesboro April 14, and his 514th straight start, at Martinsville April 21st. Terry, NASCAR's Iron Man, has not missed a race since the start of his full rookie season in 1979 and joins Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers to start in every race in the 1980s and 1990s. For these record-setting races, Kellogg's Corn Flakes TM brand and Hendrick Motorsports created the 1996 #5 Iron Man Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the first "special" car design in seven years of primary NASCAR sponsorship for Kellogg's Corn Flakes TM. Terry also helped launch the new Kellogg's Honey Crunch Corn FlakesŪ brand with a second special design car in 1997.

Terry rounded out his 1996 season as the NASCAR Series champion. It was a long time coming from his first title in 1984, but Terry's consistent placing in the top ten 24 on the season, with 21 in the top five and two wins kept him near the top of the point standings all year. He finished the season above runner-up and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon by 37 points. The reward for all his hard work? Over $4 million in winnings for 1996! As he has done in 15 of his 20 NASCAR seasons, Terry Labonte was once again among the top 10 in points in 1997 sixth, earning a trip to the NASCAR banquet in New York City. Highlights of his season included the victory at Talladega and extending his "Iron Man" record to 602 consecutive starts.

Overwhelmingly the Shared Victory Lap in Atlanta with Terry Labonte cherishing his 1996 title and brother Bobby celebrating race victory as the No. 1 moment in the Labonte's drive to the 1996 season championship. Terry too selected the Shared Victory Lap as his top memory of 1996. He may be "The Iceman" but the emotion that welled to the surface following that memorable day was too obvious to miss and NASCAR fans were quick to pick up on it.

Terry's Consecutive Start Streak Ends at 655 The Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday July 23, 2000, was the final race of the Streak

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