BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Bobby Labonte stood in the media suite at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday, cameras trained on him as he and Sharpie president Bob Parker bantered playfully for the assembled media.
Parker told Labonte he'd read that his career skyrocketed thanks to Sharpie's 'Twin Tip' pen, which writes from either end. "That's right," Labonte said, smiling wryly.
Then Parker, whose company sponsors Kurt Busch's No. 97 Ford as well as Saturday night's Sharpie 500, wished Labonte good luck in his quest to finish second this weekend.
There were more laughs all around.
Labonte is a successful Winston Cup race car driver, but on this day, in this air-conditioned suite high above Bristol Motor Speedway, he is playing a very corporate game.
"Hey, I'm not wearing makeup," Labonte said afterward, his dignity intact. He once wore makeup for a commercial, and clearly the event still haunts him.
Don't think for a second Labonte doesn't know corporate appearances come with the territory these days in NASCAR, which has grown into an industry so large drivers who laid the sport's foundation in the '50s and '60s would never believe it.
"I'm not here to endorse Sharpie," Labonte said. "But I'm here for NASCAR. They announce whatever they're going to announce each week. And that's why I'm here."
Thursday's announcement was that Sharpie is extending its sponsorship of Bristol's popular August night race through 2008.
There was even a ceremonial 'signing' of the deal, using Sharpie pens of course.
Labonte makes it clear he has nothing against Sharpie. In fact, he says, he loves the pens. He uses them to sign autograph after autograph for fans, another job outside the cockpit he doesn't mind doing.
And the president of the company that makes the pens made it clear he is a fan, too. After the cameras left, Parker sidled up to Labonte and had the driver sign several items. Other businessmen came over and did likewise.
"I'm a fan," Parker said. "I'm a fan of the fans, I'm a fan of the whole halo that surrounds the sport. Bobby is typical of the drivers we meet, he's a great speaker. I'll tell you, we sponsored a football bowl, we've got baseball ties. These NASCAR drivers are the most open, down-to-earth guys."
Sharpie's own open, down-to-earth guy was just beaten up by Jimmy Spencer after last week's race in Michigan. But Parker said Busch was at Sharpie's pen plant in Shelbyville, Tenn., on Thursday to meet with the factory workers on the floor.
"What NASCAR has done for us is something," Parker said. "We've got so many of our own fans across the U.S. The employees that make our pens really identify with this sport."
Parker said he had not yet seen Busch, who has released a statement saying the beating had left his face badly swollen, his tooth chipped and has made breathing difficult while wearing a helmet.
"When I see him, I'm going to tell him the key next time is to keep the helmet on before you get hit," Parker said, laughing.
After Parker and Labonte had made the necessary rounds to satisfy all the media in attendance, it was time to focus on the race ahead.
Labonte, currently sixth in the Winston Cup standings, ran third at Bristol last spring and looks forward to another strong showing under the bright lights Saturday.
So does Parker, who admits that being president of a major NASCAR sponsorship company has its perks.
"My most amazing experience is standing down on the track, five minutes before they get into their car -- which we'll do Saturday night -- and they talk to you like they're about to drive to the grocery store," he said.
And Labonte already was plotting the removal of his corporate shill hat and replacing it with his racing helmet.
"You've got some guys who are better racers and some guys who are more polished media guys," Labonte said. "One will go further than the other."
Which one?
"Usually the more races you win, the better it is," he said.
And then he stopped to sign another autograph. With a Sharpie, of course.
Justin Hagey is an RPM editor for ESPN.com