CONAGRA FOODS SPONSORS BOBBY LABONTE TO COMPETE IN EIGHT 2005 NASCAR BUSCH RACES AND SHOWCASE FOUR TOP BRANDS

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Labonte Begins Busch Series Race Driving The Hunt’s No. 19 Chevrolet on May 28

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 20, 2005 – Bobby Labonte, the only driver to win NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series titles, will compete in eight Busch Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005. All eight races will be sponsored by brands of ConAgra Foods, Inc. ConAgra Foods’ Banquet®, Eckrich®, Hunt’s® and Slim Jim® brands will each serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 19 Chevrolet for selected races this season. ConAgra Foods has been an associate sponsor on Labonte’s No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet NEXTEL Cup Series car since 2003 and Slim Jim was a sponsor of Labonte’s Busch Series team in the early 1990’s. "It’s a pretty neat deal to team up with ConAgra Foods and race in the Busch Series again. ConAgra Foods has been great to work with over the years, and I’ve always enjoyed racing in the Busch Series," said Bobby Labonte, who will kick off the eight-race schedule by driving the No. 19 Hunt’s Chevrolet in the CarQuest Auto Parts 300 on May 28 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. "We’re pleased to expand our racing relationship with Bobby, and excited to have additional involvement in the NASCAR Busch series," said Mike Hargrave, vice president, Sponsorship and Event Marketing, ConAgra Foods. "We look forward to Bobby having great success with the Banquet, Eckrich, Hunt’s, and Slim Jim cars this racing season." In addition to Charlotte, Labonte will compete at: Chicago, July 9 (Banquet); Brooklyn, Mich., Aug. 21 (Eckrich), Bristol, Aug. 26 (Hunt’s), Richmond, Sept. 9 (Banquet); Kansas, Oct. 10 (Banquet), Texas, Nov. 6 (Slim Jim), and Phoenix, Nov. 12 (Slim Jim). "It’s a good mix of racetracks," said Labonte. "Bristol was where I got my first pole and my first win in the Busch Series. I was born in Texas, got my first NEXTEL Cup pole at Richmond and Banquet has sponsored the Cup race at Kansas for a few years now. So, there’s a lot of history for me at these tracks."

Labonte has started 164 Busch Series races and scored nine wins and 11 Busch Poles. After not making any Busch Series starts from 2000-2003, Labonte drove in three races in 2004, two for Banquet and Joe Gibbs Racing (California Fall and Charlotte Fall) and one for Richard Childress Racing as part of the ESGR Program (Texas Spring). He finished in the top-15 in all three events. With eight races scheduled for 2005, this is the most Busch races Labonte will have entered in any one year since 1998.

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