T. Labonte

The way these last few weeks have gone, I can't help but think that the Kellogg's / got milk? Racing Team is due to take its turn in Victory Lane. My Hendrick Motorsports teammates have all won this year so we feel obligated to do our share.

Joe Nemechek has won at Richmond, Jimmie Johnson in Charlotte and Jeff Gordon at Martinsville. But it doesn't end there.

Now, I've also got to keep pace with my son, Justin. He's running late models on Saturday nights at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C. and got his first win of the season May 31.

Justin turned 22 earlier this year and one of the neatest things about where he is today is that his grandfather -- my father, Bob -- is building race cars for him just as Bob did for me and my brother Bobby years ago.

Like any other sport, the key to success in racing is experience. Justin has competed in the Hooters Pro Cup Series, the Busch Series and ARCA over the last few years. But there's no substitute for running laps and right now, it's important for him to be racing every Saturday night.

I honestly don't know who's having more fun, Justin or his grandfather. When my son finished second in an ARCA race at Atlanta Motor Speedway a couple years ago, Bob came over with a big, wide grin on his face, put his arms around Bobby and me, and said, "I think Justin's gonna be better than both of you."

I can see him maturing as a driver every day, almost minute-by-minute. It's more than just wins and good finishes on Saturday nights. He's in the shop every day and a lot more knowledgeable about what these cars do and what they need to go fast.

You never forget how long that road is that takes a young driver from mini-stockers or late models to a national touring series. The difference between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon is only a few hours, but there are nights when it can seem like a lifetime.

	Justin Labonte is currently leading the Caraway Speedway points race.

Justin has run seven or eight weeks this season and finished fourth or higher in all but one. Wouldn't you know it -- the one night I went out to watch him (Saturday before the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte), he wrecked, so he might want to keep me away for the rest of the summer.

But Justin has learned to be smooth and consistent, something I've built my career on. He's leading the track's point standings by driving smart and steady nearly every week. I'm proud of him for that. I do see a little of myself in Justin's style ... patient when he has to be, aggressive when he can be.

The way NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series is structured gives drivers like Justin a little taste of a national points race. Caraway Speedway is one of 10 tracks in the Atlantic Region, which is one of eight geographic divisions across the country.

But do you want to know the real reason why Justin, and other young drivers like him, are out there every Saturday night? Because Billy Hagan may be watching.

No, not the Billy Hagan who helped me launch my career 25 years ago. But someone just like Billy -- who has an eye for talent, a love of racing and the resources to support that passion.

That person just might be sitting in the stands or roaming the pits one Saturday night at Caraway Speedway.

Perhaps that young Labonte in car No. 44 just might be the one who grabs his attention.

Terry Labonte drives the No. 5 Kellogg's/got milk? Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He is 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.