Lack of sponsorship money has forced longtime car owner Junie Donlavey to skip Sunday’s race at Sears Point, the first sign his 52-year run in NASCAR could be coming to a close.

But Donlavey, 78, is not going to go out without a fight, hoping to scrape up enough money to bring his No. 90 car to Daytona International Speedway next month.

“If I have to quit this game, I want to do it at where I started,” said Donlavey, who made his first Daytona appearance when cars still raced on the beach.

Old-school ways have probably hurt Donlavey over the years. His shop is based in Richmond, Va., and his refusal to move to Charlotte, N.C. the hub of NASCAR cost him last season. His sponsor at the time wanted to be closer to the action, and when Donlavey declined to move, the money left with driver Hut Stricklin for Bill Davis Racing.

But racing has never been about money for Donlavey, who won his only race in 1980 with Jody Ridley as the driver. His last top-five finish came with Dick Trickle in 1997.

“I’ve had a good time,” Donlavey said. “I have met so many nice people that, if I had to trade the people I met for money, there wouldn’t be enough money around.”

Frustrated Labonte: Since winning the Winston Cup championship in 2000, nothing has gone the way Bobby Labonte has hoped.

He struggled most of last season before a late charge he won both his races in the second half of the year rallied him to sixth in the final points standings.

But despite a victory this year, Labonte has two DNF’s and headed into Sears Point 20th in the standings.

“This season has been a major disappointment,” he said. “I know we are still capable of running up front, but I am just not sure what its going to take.”

He’s held out little hope that a NASCAR-approved rules change to his struggling Pontiac is the answer. NASCAR allowed the Grand Prix to alter its front air dams and rear spoilers before last weekend’s race at Michigan, but the aid did little and Labonte finished 24th.

“Were glad NASCAR gave us something regarding the rules change but it is not going to be the fix-all for our problems,” he said. “I think it is going to help us overall in the long run, but we have a lot of other things we are working on within our own house and we have to address those things as well.”

Labonte, teammate to Tony Stewart, was evasive when asked what his Joe Gibbs Racing team needs.

“The rules change is one of about 10 things we need,” he said. “If I thought you could fix the other nine, I’d tell you what they were.”

Right turns: NASCAR gives its drivers two opportunities to prove its series is more than just left turns. The first chance comes at Sears Point. Instead of going around and around on one of the traditional ovals, the series sent its drivers out to test their all-around racing skills. Conquering a road course requires pit stop strategies, right-turn passing and patience.