Kroger 200 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

· Joey Clanton scored his career best finish in the TrimSpa Dream Body 250 at Pikes Peak International Speedway. Clanton placed fifth, his first career top-five finish in his 12-race Busch Series career. His previous best effort was an 11th place in the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway this past July. Clanton took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the third time in the past four races.

· Clanton led the race at Pikes Peak once for two laps (2.00 miles), the only first-year driver to lead a lap in the race. He became the third different Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the Busch Series this season, joining Chad Blount and David Stremme. Blount has led once in one race for 56 laps (74.48 miles) while Stremme has led twice in two races for 34 laps (34.00 miles).

· Coy Gibbs enjoys a commanding lead in the chase for Raybestos® Rookie of the Year entering the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Gibbs holds a 51-point advantage (190-139) over Regan Smith. Gibbs ranks 16th in Busch Series points, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

· Blount owns the best qualifying run by a Raybestos® Rookie this season, a seventh place effort at California Speedway.

· Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2002 Kroger 200, collecting a fourth place finish. Scott Riggs led the race once for 94 laps, more than any other driver. Riggs' car suffered a cut tire with just 11 laps remaining in the race, which shuffled him back to 11th place at the finish. Sauter and Riggs were the only two Raybestos® Rookies to finish on the lead lap.

· A Raybestos® Rookie has won a race each season in each of the past three seasons, dating back to 2000: Kevin Harvick (2000, three wins), Ron Hornaday (2000, two wins), Greg Biffle (2001, five wins), and Scott Riggs (2002, two wins). Other first year drivers to score a win in their first season: Steve Park 1997, three wins), Johnny Benson (1994, one win) and Hermie Sadler (1993, one win).

· A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one pole position in each of the past three seasons, dating back to 2000.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER           POINTS
Coy Gibbs           190
Regan Smith         139
Joey Clanton        136
David Stremme       133
Chad Blount         130
Chris Bingham        86
Damon Lusk           82
Jason White          76     
Chase Montgomery     70         
  
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 
darlingtonraceway.com 200    Coy Gibbs, 14th 
Channellock 250              Chase Montgomery, 22nd 
O'Reilly 300                 Chad Blount, fifth
Aaron's 312                  Coy Gibbs, ninth
Pepsi 300                    David Stremme, seventh
californiaspeedway.com 300   Coy Gibbs, 13th 
Hardee's 250                 David Stremme, 14th 
Charter Pipeline 250         David Stremme, 14th 
Goulds Pumps 200             David Stremme, sixth
CARQUEST 300                 Coy Gibbs, 24th 
MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 Regan Smith, 16th 
Trace Adkins Chrome 300      David Stremme, third
Meijer 300                   David Stremme, 10th 
GNC Live Well 250            David Stremme, third
Winn-Dixie 250               Joey Clanton, 11th
Tropicana Twister 300        Joey Clanton, 14th 
New England 200              Damon Lusk, 18th 
TrimSpa Dream Body 200       Joey Clanton, fifth

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