Labonte to run in road races

The two-time NASCAR champion, who supposedly retired from driving Nextel Cup cars last fall, will get back behind the wheel long enough to run the two Cup road races this season for Michael Waltrip Racing: Sunday at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and Aug. 12 at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

This has been a tough season for Waltrip, who started his new three-car program as one of the flagship teams for Cup newcomer Toyota. There have been cheating scandals, off-the-track embarrassments and, perhaps worst, Waltrip himself has qualified for only three of 15 races this year. Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann, his teammates and employees, haven’t done much better.

Jarrett used up his six provisional starts as a former series champion early in the year.

But Labonte, making his first start since November at Texas, is ensured a starting spot in Sunday’s race thanks to his status as a former champ.

“Michael and I had a long talk the other day, and I just decided that I would be up to running the road courses for him to see if I can help him out,” Labonte said.

“I still like the sport. But then there are other days where I am completely happy doing something else. The decision for me to run at Infineon and Watkins Glen is a good decision for me.”

Waltrip said he is grateful for the help.

“I like to think of myself as a good road racer, too,” Waltrip said. “But this is the perfect opportunity for me to step back and look at what is going on — try to help my boys get better.”

Labonte has six top-five finishes and eight top-10s in 18 starts at Infineon, where he started 37th and finished third last year.

This will be his first time driving NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow, which makes its road-racing debut this week. …

Noted sports-car road racer Boris Said also will compete at Infineon.

He has broadened his horizons the past few years, driving on some of the NASCAR ovals as well, but road racing is Said’s specialty.

He finished ninth at the Sonoma track last year.

• DESERT RACING — Rookie SCORE Trophy-Truck racer and casino executive Bill McBeath was selected by a computer drawing to start from the pole in the July 20-21 SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup stadium-style desert race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s dirt track.

Series championship points will be awarded for the first time in the event’s three-year run.

McBeath, a native Las Vegan, is president and chief executive of Bellagio.

• MOTORCYCLES — Indianapolis Motor Speedway is negotiating to host a MotoGP world motorcycle event next year, track president Joie Chitwood said. If a deal is reached, it would be the first time in decades that motorcycles have competed at the famed track.

Motorcycles were the first to race at the speedway in 1909, two years before the first Indianapolis 500.

• DRAG RACING — John Irving of Boulder City won Pro and Sportsman titles Saturday in the Jerry’s Nugget Drag Racing Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Other winners were Adam Burnham (Super Pro) and Justin King (Motorcycle).

The next event scheduled for the dragstrip is July 13 and 14 with the D1 Drift Grand Prix and NHRA Sport Compact Nationals.