MARTINSVILLE -- Bobby Labonte has a red and blue Goody's Headache Powders paint scheme for today's Subway 500.

Maybe the cameo colors on the 2000 Cup champion's Dodge will bring some good karma. Labonte would use just about anything to turn his season around.

Nearing the end of his second campaign in the famous Petty Enterprises No. 43 car, he is 17th in the Nextel Cup points standings with no wins.

It's been an uphill battle for the 43-year-old Texan since his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing at the conclusion of 2005. Last year, he finished 21st in the points and posted only four top-five finishes. This season, Labonte has no top-fives and three top-10s.

For a driver who won at least one race every year from 1995 to 2003, bad results create a particularly bad feeling.

"It's just tough," Labonte said on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway where he starts 16th in today's race. "You've got to have a lot of confidence in yourself because there's days that get you down pretty good. But you just keeping working at it."

In a season dominated by points leaders Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and a handful of other drivers, Petty Enterprises has continued a long-term struggle to challenge NASCAR's heavyweight teams. Labonte isn't convinced the new Car of Tomorrow, billed as a cost cutter and competition equalizer, will ultimately do much to narrow the gap.

"Before, you were spending money but now you're going to spend a lot more to get those last two-tenths," he said. "The moral of the story is I think you're still going to have the teams that have the money that are going to spend it."

Getting props

Chastised at times for being overly aggressive and displaying a poor attitude, Kyle Busch has received high marks at Martinsville for staying focused on winning a title for Hendrick Motorsports, even though he's known since June he would leave the company next season.

"I'm extremely impressed," Jimmie Johnson said. "In working with Kyle over the years, I've always seen a guy that wants to do good and wants to be a champion and wants to be a race winner and loved working for Hendrick Motorsports. He's done a lot of growing and maturing."

Busch, who will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, has three top-five finishes in five Chase races. He is sixth among the 12 Chase drivers, 280 points behind leader Gordon.

"He is doing great," said older brother Kurt Busch. "The kid is 22 years old and has quite a bit of pressure on his shoulders with the team that he is looking forward to as well as the team he is working with right now."

Kyle Busch said he doesn't know if he has consciously tried to make better decisions.

"Maybe having a little bit better surroundings has been the biggest thing, just a couple different people that I've got around me that are helping out and doing some things differently for me," he said. "... But other than that, just trying to figure out how to grow up, I guess, has been the biggest thing."

Making plans

Ward Burton made his return to Nextel Cup racing one year ago at Martinsville after almost two years without a ride. With his one-year contract at Morgan-McClure Motorsports set to expire at the end of the season, the South Boston driver said Saturday he remains unsure of his plans for 2008 and has no timetable for an announcement.

"I think I've gotten as sharp as I ever would however good or bad that is," said Burton, who is the 2002 Daytona 500 champion. "I think we've done a lot with a little and I mean that with no disrespect but the way we're doing it with our team with the resources we've got is the way you did it 10-15 years ago and it's a lot different than what our competition is doing."

Burton is 47th is the points standings with no top-10 finishes this season. He has failed to qualify for 16 races.

"I've had a lot of fun -- there's been some frustrating moments obviously -- but I'm really happy I'm back here and it's where I ought to be right now," he said.

Pit stops

Tony Raines was the fastest in Saturday's final practice session followed by Jamie McMurray and pole sitter Gordon. ... The Charlotte Observer reports that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch will be permitted to test with their 2008 teams at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Oct. 29 and 30.