Labonte's first NASCAR race came in at Darlington Raceway, racing the #92 Duck Industries Chevrolet. He qualified 19th in the Duck Industries Chevy and finished fourth that weekend. He ran four more races that season and had additional two top-ten finishes. In 1979, he competed for NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year along with the late Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant and Joe Millikan, driving the #44 Stratagraph Chevrolet for Hagan Racing, In 1980, he had his first win for the Southern 500. While Labonte failed to win the top rookie of the year award, he was one of the rookies to finish the Top 10 in points. He ended the season with 13 Top 10 finishes, The following year, Labonte won the Labor Day weekend race, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He won $222,501 and finished sixth in final points. In 1984, He portrayed an unnamed pit crewman on the CBS series, "The Dukes of Hazzard".