Labonte, General Mills to RCR

Richard Childress Racing will field a fourth car in 2009 with sponsorship from General Mills, and Yahoo! Sports has learned that Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, will be the driver.

Labonte, who has spent the past two-plus seasons driving for Petty Enterprises, will drive the No. 33 car.

Yahoo! Sports originally reported in February this exact story – that Labonte would be the driver of a fourth RCR car, with sponsorship from General Mills. At that time, Richard Childress acknowledged that he would field a fourth car, but denied Labonte would be the driver.

"No, no, no," Childress told Fox Sports.

But sources close to the negotiations continue to confirm to Yahoo! Sports that a deal between Childress and Labonte is done.

Rumors of Labonte's move to Childress began at the start of the 2008 season when Labonte signed to drive the No. 21 Nationwide car for Childress. It is expected the majority of the No. 21 team, headed by crew chief Shane Wilson, will move up to work on the new Sprint Car team.

Petty Enterprises had hoped signing a past champion like Labonte would help return the organization to respectability. It hasn't worked out that way.

Since joining Petty Enterprises, Labonte has scored just 11 top 10s and no wins in 78 races.

A move to Childress would be a shot in the arm for Labonte's career. One only has to look at how the move to RCR has helped the career of current points leader Jeff Burton, who since joining RCR has won at least one race in each of the past three seasons after going winless the previous four driving for Jack Roush.