ARCHDALE, NC (September 3, 2007)- The 2006 World 100 at Eldora Speedway was one of the most exciting and entertaining World 100's in the 36 year history of the event. Earl Pearson Jr. also known as "The Hurricane" became the first dirt late model driver from the state of Florida to win the prestigious event in 2006. Earl used the extreme low groove to shoot from 4^th place into first place passing the top three cars in one lap near the end of the heated battle for the lead between, Shannon Babb, Jeep Vanwormer and Josh Richards. Once in the lead Pearson held off challenges from Babb and the wall riding Jeep Vanwormer over the final ten laps to claim his biggest win of his career. Nobody in the huge crowd was sitting in their seats over the final ten laps as the top four swapped positions back forth and banging the concrete wall as they used the patented Eldora slide jobs on each other.
 
Earl was masterful in the end to earn the victory in his Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports, Mastersbilt Chassis powered by a Larry Wallace engine and fueled with HCR Plus Sunoco Race Fuel. The $39,000 first place prize money was Earl's biggest payday of his career at a single event. With his win at the famous Eldora Speedway Earl will be forever in the record books with some of the biggest names in motorsports that have won at Eldora Speedway over the years. Winning at Eldora and the World 100 can also mean big things for a driver's career and Earl has been the recipient of that as well.
 
After winning the 2006 World 100 Earl's phone began to ring understandably from the usual product sponsors and companies that wanted to use Earl in post event ads and promotions of products that Earl used to win the World 100. But it was a call from the 2000 Nextel NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte that has changed Earl's career dramatically. Bobby and Earl were friends over the past couple of years and Bobby drove Earl's car at the first Prelude at Eldora Speedway in 2005 which got Bobby hooked on dirt late model racing. After Earl won the World 100 Bobby entertained the idea to own a dirt late model team but only if Earl would be his driver. At the end of the 2006 racing season Earl and Bobby agreed to put together a team for Bobby Labonte to own and operate out of his own race shops in Archdale, NC. Bobby then purchased the Dunn-Benson Ford Motorsports team from Carlton and Kemp Lamm and landed a primary sponsor LifeLong Locks to field cars for Earl for the 2007 racing season.
 
Some were skeptical of Earl's move to Bobby Labonte Racing in 2007 but keeping the team and chemistry intact was Bobby's intent and it has proven that even dirt late model racing is all about good people working together. Bobby hired Jason Fitzgerald to return as Earl's crew chief along with Matt Langston as his long time crew help over the past several years and reunited Keith Edwards to the team to solidify Bobby Labonte Racing as one if not the top dirt late model "teams" in the country. At the age of 35 Earl has continued to prove to be a driver that is mentioned with such successful veteran drivers as Moyer, Moran and Bloomquist when it comes to shear talent. Earl is attempting to become the first dirt late model driver in history to win four consecutive National Touring Series Championships in 2007. Earl has won the 2004 Stacker2 Xtreme DirtCar Series, the 2005 and 2006 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championships and is leading the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship again in 2007 with 5 victories on the series.
 
Not only did Earl master the World 100 in 2006, but in 2007 Earl won the inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series sanctioned event at Eldora Speedway this past July.
"I remember the first time coming to Eldora in the late 90's and how intimidating it was my first time here. But I have really grown to love coming here and everyone on Eldora's staff is great to work with and always accommodating to me. Just making the feature event at Eldora Speedway is a huge accomplishment for any driver the first few times coming here", stated Earl.
 
"Winning the World 100 is like winning the Daytona 500 on dirt. I really didn't realize how big of deal it would be until I won it last year. Everything that has happened since has been just incredible for me and my career. Being able to team up with Bobby Labonte and LifeLong Locks this year has been great. Then to win the World of Outlaws sanctioned event at Eldora this past July and all the publicity we have received by winning at Eldora has been tremendous for me, Bobby and LifeLong Locks. I can't wait to roll through the gates as the defending champion for the World 100. It will be a lot of fun and were looking forward to competing against the best dirt late model drivers in the country and win this deal two years in a row", stated Earl from his home in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Earl will be a guest on two motorsports talk shows on Monday September 3^rd. The first show Earl is scheduled to be "Live" on will be at 7:30 EST on "Inside Florida Racing" on the web at www.realracinusa.com. The show "Inside Florida Racing" airs "live" every Monday from 7-9pm EST. Earl will also be a special guest on the popular motorsports talk show "Dirt Nation Live" on Monday September 3^rd at 9pm EST on the web at www.dirtnation.net or www.racetalklive.com.  Both talk shows will be archived for listeners to log on at any time to listen to the interviews.
Earl Pearson Jr. who resides in Florida has let it be known that the famous Eldora Speedway may be located in Ohio but "The Hurricane" can still strike that far north.
 
Earl and the Bobby Labonte Racing Team would like to thank all their sponsors for their support in 2007. They include: LifeLong Locks, Mopar, Lucas Oil, Sunoco Race Fuels, Mastersbilt Race Cars, Larry Wallace Engines, Allstar Performance, Tiger Rear End, BERT, Butlerbuilt, Hyperco, Moroso, SHY, Wilwood, Woodward, TWM, Dyers Top Rods, Weld, Hoosier Tire, PRC, Jones Racing Products, Stealth, Trick, Wrisco, Sparco, Bell, Mechanix Wear, Oakley, Cheerios, Coke, Dunn-Benson Racing Supply, ASI Racewear, WRT Web Designs, The Decal Source, Rick Schwallie Photography and WD Enterprises.
 
For more information about the 2006 World 100 Champion Earl Pearson Jr. and the Bobby Labonte Racing Team visit their official website at www.bobbylabontemotorsports.com.