Bobby Labonte is beginning his second year with Petty Enterprises. Credit: Autostock

Labonte hunting exploits challenge HOA standard

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bobby Labonte falls into the 10 percent of individuals who are born with true comedic timing, as evidenced by this story from Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway:

Someone asked Labonte what he did in the offseason. Usually, a driver will mention vacation or trips to Kentucky and Nashville to test.

Labonte had something different, even if this was only one day of his time off. In his words:

"I got up one morning to go do a photo shoot and I noticed a weeping willow down in the backyard, in the pond. So I told my brother-in-law, who was showing up, 'Check that out. I think a beaver got it.'

"I got back that afternoon, and he said, 'You're right, a beaver got it, a guy was here working on your house today, said [to] leave some limbs in the pond, and the beaver will come back tonight and get it.'

"I said, 'All right.' So I got my pistol out and I got my rifle out and I called my nephew with a spotlight, and got back from dinner, we are sitting there. Lo and behold, here comes this beaver coming up the water.

"So I went to get my pistol, but I was so nervous I couldn't get the right bullets. I had .38, .45. I didn't have the right bullets. So I got my rifle, put bullets in the rifle, and told [son] Tyler, 'You grab the spotlight.'

"So my wife is sitting on the deck, and I got the rifle, scoped out, and I am looking for him. I said, all right, turn it on. He turned it on, and I couldn't see nothing. So anyway, he hit the beaver. I pulled the trigger. One shot.

"Pow! This was my .270 rifle, if y'all know what that is ... massive. Well I was dying laughing because I live in a neighborhood with about 200 other homes.

"I got the thing that gets leaves out the pool, grabbed the beaver out, pulled him up, threw him up there, [and said] 'We have to go get a beer after this one, this is good.'

"We got beer, camera, photos, the whole deal, I called Kyle and Robbie [team owner Petty and manager Loomis] up and said, 'If I am not there tomorrow, I am in jail. Not sure if it is season or not for beaver.'

"It was not a county record, but it was a neighborhood record. Fifty pounds.

"My offseason was pretty boring other than that. Just stayed home and spent time with the family."