He was prepared for the question.

Saco’s Richard ‘Slugger’ Labbe, the crew chief for Michael Waltrip’s NAPA Auto Parts No. 15 Ford, was asked about the origin of his nickname.

Labbe is a popular man these days after Waltrip won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night.

“I’ve done 20 TV and radio shows this week and that’s what everyone wanted to know,” said Labbe.

He credits his grandmother, Rose Souliere, with giving him the nickname.

“When I was born, they put me in these pajamas with ‘Little Slugger’ written on them. It’s kind of tacky,” said Labbe, who earned his first Winston Cup victory as a crew chief in his 61st race Saturday.

“It’s an awesome feeling. The hard work finally paid off,” said Labbe. “It didn’t sink in until I walked into the shop on Monday and the shop guys were smiling and giving high-fives.”

He is quick to point out there are a lot of Mainers on Waltrip’s team including Saco’s Pete Rondeau (car chief) and Mark Webber (suspensions), Scarborough’s Rex Garrett (gears and transmission) and Unity’s Stan Meserve (suspension setup).

The car chief is the assistant crew chief.

The 34-year-old Labbe’s rise to prominence is a credit to his resolve and determination.

His father, Ray, worked on pro stock cars for Dick McCabe of Kennebunk and Slugger wanted to spend more time with his dad.

So his dad introduced him to the world of auto racing.

When Slugger decided he wanted to be part of a race team, McCabe “hooked me up with [Scarborough’s] Kelly Moore.”

Moore is currently racing in the Busch North series.

“When I first started, I was the dumbest son of a [gun] out there. Fortunately, there were people who taught me right from wrong,” said Labbe.

Labbe applied himself and learned all aspects of the business by doing a variety of different jobs for Moore.

At the Oxford True Value 250 in 1988, Labbe asked friend Scott Houston, son of NASCAR Busch Grand National driver Tommy Houston, if he could send something with him to North Carolina after the race.

“He said what is it. I said ‘Me.’ I want to go racing,” said Labbe. “Things in Maine had become stagnant. I needed to make a move.”

“I left my truck and toolbox at home and met them at Exit 5 the next morning. I had a pocketful of money and a suitcase full of clothes,” said the 1986 graduate of Thornton Academy.

So he went to North Carolina with the Houstons and sons Marty, Scott and Andy and wound up working for them and living with them.

He continued his ascent in the business and eventually worked for Terry Labonte, who went on to win the Winston Cup points championship in 1996. Labbe’s dad, Ray, had since moved his family to North Carolina and drove Labonte’s motor home that year.

“That was pretty cool. Not many father-son combinations have done that,” said Labbe who eventually left to work for Dale Jarrett, Wally Dallenbach and the late Kenny Irwin.

As a crew chief for Irwin in 1998, they had four top 10 finishes in 29 races.

He was the car chief and the head of research and development for Jarrett’s team when Dale Earnhardt Incorporated manager Ty Norris offered him the Waltrip crew chief’s job in September.

He had 11 races with Waltrip last season. The team finished 24th in points.

They are currently 12th this season with seven top-10s.

“Michael’s a super guy. He’s real easy-going. You couldn’t ask for a better driver for our situation. He knows we’re all behind him. He didn’t have that last year. There was a lot of turmoil,” said Labbe who would like to help Waltrip annex a top 10 finish in the points.