GNC Live Well 250 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

· David Stremme was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Stremme finished tenth, his fourth top-10 finish of the season, the most of any first year driver. He has now taken home top finishing rookie honors in six races this season, including the last two consecutive events. He was the only first year driver to complete all 200 laps at Kentucky Speedway.

· Coy Gibbs leads the chase for Raybestos® Rookie of the Year standings entering the GNC 250 at The Milwaukee Mile. He holds a 35-point advantage (167-122) over Blount. Gibbs ranks 16th in Busch Series points, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

· Stremme and Blount are the only Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the Busch Series this season. Blount has led once in one race for 56 laps (74.48 miles). Stremme has led once in one race for 32 laps (32.00 miles).

· DID YOU KNOW? Since 1997, Steve Park and Greg Biffle are the only Raybestos® Rookies to score a top-five finish at Milwaukee. Park finished fifth in 1997 while Biffle won in 2001. Biffle backed up his win by taking the checkered flag one year later.

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

· All five Raybestos® Rookies that entered the Kentucky race qualified for the event. Four were running at the finish: Stremme, Coy Gibbs (15th), Joey Clanton (16th), and Jason White (25th). Regan Smith finished 32nd after he was involved in an accident.

· Shane Hmiel was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2002 GNC 250 at The Milwaukee Mile. Hmiel finished sixth, completing all 250 laps of the event. He was the only first year driver to lead at least one lap in the race, holding the top spot once for two laps.

· Johnny Sauter also had a good day at Milwaukee, coming away with a solid 12th place finish on the lead lap. Sauter and Hmiel were the only first year drivers to complete all 250 miles of the race.

· Scott Riggs was the highest qualifying rookie at Milwaukee, grabbing the sixth place starting position in time trials. Riggs and Sauter, who started ninth, were the only rookies to start inside the top-10.

· Four of the six Raybestos® Rookies that started the race were running at the finish of the event: Hmiel, Sauter, Casey Mears (19th) and Kerry Earnhardt (27th). Brian Vickers (28th) was sidelined in an accident while Riggs (37th) was forced from the event with engine problems.

· 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            167
Chad Blount          122
Regan Smith          120
David Stremme         96
Chris Bingham         82
Joey Clanton          69
Chase Montgomery      60     
Damon Lusk            50
Jason White           32         

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   

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