CONCORD, N.C. – When it comes to the new Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, the verdict is still out, but for NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year candidate Alex Labbe, so far so good.
Even though the DGM Racing driver isn’t a factor in the Xfinity Series Playoffs, Labbe looks to showcase his road racing skills and steal the spotlight in Saturday afternoon’s Drive for the Cure 200.
The teams had an optional practice on Thursday and Labbe’s No. 36 Larue | Cyclops Gear Chevrolet unloaded conservatively – but the more laps the Saint-Albert, Quebec Canada native maneuvered around the 2.28-mile, 17-turn track – the higher he climbed on the speed charts.
Landing 10th and 11th quickest overall during Thursday’s combined four-hour session, Labbe’s team led by former Xfinity Series competitor Mario Gosselin were happy with the results – but also felt they had more to show.
A lot more.
“The Roval test went really good, better than I expected it,” Labbe told CATCHFENCE.com. “I was up to speed real quick and the car felt great right away. We only ran about 12 laps, but I feel good.”
The team showed their hand during Friday afternoon’s practice session as the 2017 NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion was not only quicker – but third fastest overall. With a comfortable setup and confidence in his race car abilities, the team opted to skip the series’ final practice in lieu of focusing on their qualifying setup.
Easily, Labbe made it through Round 1 of knockout qualifying – advancing to Round 2. Despite his best efforts to stun the field and grab his first series’ pole, Labbe laid down the fifth quickest lap, a career-best for the 25-year-old.
“I’m happy,” Labbe said. “The biggest challenges in the race will probably be to survive until the end without getting involved in an accident and by saving our stuff until the end. I think the curbs could be tough on our cars if we get too aggressive with them.
“A solid result on Saturday would mean a lot to our team. It is one of the only tracks where we can have top-12 speed in the race, so we have to capitalize on it.”
Labbe credited the racing simulation iRacing for helping get acquainted with the track’s temporary layout.
“I gotta give props to iRacing for allowing me to use their simulator on Tuesday to get some laps on the Roval, it was a huge help in getting me up to speed.”
Knowing that he has one of the best cars he’s had this season, Labbe knows a good finish means a flawless race. But, as his 2019 plans are still in limbo, a strong effort could provide a better outlook on next season.
“I’m pretty happy with what we have shown this season,” added Labbe who has a career-best finish of ninth at Mid-Ohio last month. “I think we have been meeting our expectations and we kept all the cars in one piece all year. We want to keep improving for the rest of the season and keep that consistency in order to stay in the top-20 in owner points.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
