Super-Class
Superstar
B
y the time John Labbous
Jr. was 15, he had long decid-
ed that drag racing was going
to be a major part of his life.
There was the time he rode in
the passenger side of his fa-
mous father’s race car when he
was just weeks old because the babysitter didn’t
show. Perhaps it was when he was 10 years old
88 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
and already driving old cars in the back field,
making trails in the woods that sold him. Or
maybe it was the time in 1986 at Brainerd In-
ternational Raceway when 11-year-old Labbous
drove his father’s car up through the staging lanes
to get to his father, John Labbous Sr., much to
the dismay of an NHRA official.
But by the time he was 15, it had already be-
come more than a hobby. Labbous started his first
season of racing that year, winning his first-ever
race in Crossville, Tennessee, just months into his
career. The payout was $2,500, but amidst the
celebration, Labbous’ father shared an import-
ant message if racing was ever going to become
his livelihood. It might have put a damper on
Labbous’ big moment, but it’s a sentiment that
helped turn an infatuation into a career in the
sportsman ranks.
Issue 122
John Labbous Jr. leads the charge in NHRA
Super Comp and Super Gas. By Josh Hachat