Coy Gibbs was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Sam's Town 300 at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gibbs finished 16th and took top finishing rookie
honors for the second consecutive race. For the second consecutive race,
Gibbs was the only first year driver to finish on the lead lap.
Gibbs leads the Raybestos® Rookie standings by two points (30-28) over
Chad Blount entering Saturday's Darlington 200. This is the first time in
2003 that Gibbs has led the Raybestos® Rookie points chase.
All six Raybestos® Rookies that entered the Las Vegas race qualified for
the race and three were running at the finish: Gibbs, Damon Lusk (22nd), and
Blount (29th). Chase Montgomery (36th) left the race with engine failure
while Chris Bingham (37th) was involved in an accident. Regan Smith (41st)
dropped out with an oil leak .
The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie is 14th by Coy Gibbs while the
best start is ninth by Chad Blount.
No Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in any of the three Busch Series races
entering the Darlington 200.
Entering the Darlington 200, Blount has been the top qualifying
Raybestos® Rookie in both races this season where time trials were held
(qualifying for the Sam's Town 300 was rained out).
Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2002
darlingtonraceway.com 200. Sauter finished 11th, the only first year driver
to finish on the lead lap.
2002 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year Scott Riggs was the highest qualifying
rookie at Darlington. He took the fourth starting position in time trials.
No Raybestos® Rookie led a lap in last year's race at Darlington.
Four of the seven Raybestos® Rookies that started the
darlingtonraceway.com 200 were running at the finish of the race: Sauter,
Kerry Earnhardt (18th), Shane Hmiel (19th), Riggs (20th) and Dan Pardus
(23rd). Brian Vickers (37th - accident) and Casey Mears (39th - electrical)
did not finish the event.
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Coy Gibbs 31
Chad Blount 29
Damon Lusk 20
Regan Smith 16
Chris Bingham 15
Chase Montgomery 8
HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Koolerz 300 Chad Blount, 11th
Rockingham 200 Coy Gibbs, 14th
Sam's Town 300 Coy Gibbs, 14th
