Sam’s Town 300 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

" Coy Gibbs was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Rockingham 200 at North Carolina Speedway. Gibbs finished 14th, matching his career best finish which came in the 2002 Kroger 300 Presented by Oreo at Kentucky Speedway. He was the only Raybestos® Rookie to finish on the lead lap.

" Gibbs and Chad Blount are tied (20 points each) for the lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

" Chad Blount was the highest qualifying Raybestos® Rookie at Rockingham, taking the 24th starting position in time trials. Blount was also the top qualifying rookie at Daytona where he started ninth.

" Four Raybestos® Rookies started the Rockingham event and two were running at the finish: Gibbs and Regan Smith, who finished 31st. Blount was involved in an accident after 175 laps and was credited with a 32nd place. Chris Bingham dropped out after 157 laps with transmission problems and placed 34th in the final finishing order. Smith and Bingham made their first starts of the 2003 seasons at Rockingham.

" No Raybestos® Rookie led a lap at Daytona or Rockingham.

" Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race at the 2002 Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sauter finished third and was the only first year driver to finish the event on the lead lap.

" Two Raybestos® Rookies led a lap in the race: Casey Mears (once for four laps) and Scott Riggs (twice for three laps). Mears was also the highest qualifying rookie for the event, claiming the third starting position.

" Seven Raybestos® Rookies started the race and six were running at the finish of the event: Sauter, Mears (18th), Kerry Earnhardt (19th), Brian Vickers (20th), Dan Pardus (33rd), and Riggs (34th). The only first year driver who failed to finish was Shane Hmiel who was involved in an accident and finished 42nd.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER                      POINTS
Chad Blount                     20
Coy Gibbs                       20
Regan Smith                     10 
Damon Lusk                      10  
Chris Bingham                    8 
  
HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS®  ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT                       HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Koolerz 300                 Chad Blount, 11th  
Rockingham 200              Coy Gibbs, 14th 

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