CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two-time NASCAR champion Terry Labonte will race a limited schedule in 2005 and 2006, joining the growing list of veteran drivers slowly easing out of racing.

Labonte is scheduled to run about 10 races next season in the No. 44 Chevrolet, followed by 10 races in 2006 in what will be his final season.

Kyle Busch will take Labonte's spot in the No. 5 Chevy and is to run a full-time Nextel Cup schedule in 2005. The 19-year-old Busch is the younger brother of current Nextel Cup points leader Kurt Busch.

Labonte, 47, began his Cup career in 1978, running five races for Billy Hagan. His first full season of competition was in 1979 and he went on to set a then-record of 655 consecutive starts that was broken in 2000.

He won two series titles along the way, in 1984 and again in 1996. He has 22 career victories, the most recent last August at Darlington Raceway in the final Southern 500 run on Labor Day weekend - a victory that broke a 156-race winless streak.

PITTSBURGH - The Pirates unconditionally released right-handed pitcher Nelson Figueroa Tuesday.The Pirates bought Figueroa's contract in August from their minor league affiliate in Nashville, where the 30-year-old went 12-8 with a 4.19 ERA in 23 starts. With the Pirates, he was 0-3 with a 5.72 ERA in 10 games and 3 starts.Figueroa has played in 74 major league games with Arizona, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. He has 33 starts and was 7-17 with a 4.65 career ERA.

Grove City College junior cross country runner Elisa Pedersen and junior women's soccer player Stacey Brubaker were named Presidents' Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week in their respective sports.Pedersen won the 129-runner Carnegie Mellon Invitational in a time of 18 minutes, 27 seconds to help the Wolverines win the team event as well.Brubaker scored three goals in soccer wins of 6-0 over Waynesburg and 10-0 over Bethany (W.Va.). She also played the final 20 minutes in goal in the Bethany game, recording one save.