Labonte

It's hard to believe we're almost one-fourth of the way through the season ... seven races down, 29 to go.

I'm happy with the progress the Kellogg's/got milk? team has made in the first two months, particularly the improvement we've shown in qualifying. And, although the final results don't show it, we've had two pretty solid outings in a row.

We had a car capable of winning at Bristol (March 23), but got wrecked by a lapped car in traffic about halfway through that race and finished 39th. The following week at Texas, we got caught by a yellow flag just after a green-flag pit stop, were trapped a lap down and never got it back; finishing 16th. But you can measure how far our team has come by the reaction to that finish. There were times during the last couple years where we would have been satisfied with 16th. This time, we were disappointed because we knew we were better than that.

In fact, the last couple weeks have shown me how important two elements of this sport can be toward a driver's success. I'm not talking about chassis setups, horsepower under the hood or 15-second stops on pit road.

I'm talking about families and fans.

There have been two events off the track the last couple weeks that have, once again, helped me understand how important the support of those two groups are to what we do on the track week in and week out.

On the Friday night before the Bristol race, my father and mother (Bob and Martha Labonte) were honored by two local charities in the Tri-Cities Area of Tennessee and Virginia: Girls Incorporated and the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol. Each year, those organizations pay tribute to an individual or a family whose participation in NASCAR has helped contribute to the sport's growth and overall success.

What a privilege it was to share the stage that night with my parents and my brother, Bobby. Every driver is consumed by the day-to-day responsibilities that are part of a career in racing. We rarely get the chance to slow down long enough to take a breath and appreciate what we have. I'd like to thank Girls Incorporated and the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol for giving me the opportunity to do just that.

I can't repeat all the stories we shared that night with friends like Mike Joy, Ned Jarrett and David Green. But I can say this. My father helped me get started in this business by building cars to drive on all those short tracks in South Texas. He did the same thing for Bobby as he was starting his career and the neatest thing today is that my father is back to building late-model stock cars …. for my son to race in North Carolina.

And if you want to know how passionate about this racing business my mother can be, ask her about the night she threw a large soft drink at one of those local track officials in Texas because a call he made didn't go in her son's favor.

The bottom line is this: they've been there for Bobby and me all the way through our careers. It was great to be there with them on their special night, to show our appreciation for all they've done.

And now for the fans. We had a meeting with about 200 members of the Terry Labonte Fan Club while we were at Texas Motor Speedway and every time we do this, I come away with the same feeling. NASCAR fans are the most dedicated, knowledgeable and loyal sports fans in the world -- period. But I want to make special note of a nine-year-old boy from Laurel, Miss., who traveled to the race with his family and friends. Zachary and I became pretty good buddies that weekend. You know, a lot of people always tell me they're my biggest fan but I believe one little guy now holds that distinction. He had a smile as big as the state of Texas and a heart to match.

All the banners and signs outside the tent had my name on them. But it was my honor to share the stage with Zachary that evening.

None of us could do what we do without a supportive family and all those great fans. These two events helped me realize once again just how fortunate we are and for that, I am thankful.

Terry Labonte drives the No. 5 Kellogg's/got milk? Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He will be providing a biweekly diary to ESPN.com throughout the 2003 NASCAR season. Labonte's personal Web site can be found at www.terrylabonte.net or go to www.hendrickmotorsports.com for team information.