Bashas' Supermarkets 200 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS - NASCAR BUSCH SERIES

· David Stremme was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race at the Aaron's 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stremme finished 12th and took Raybestos® Rookie honors for the third consecutive race. He has been top Raybestos® Rookie in 12 races this season entering the Bashas' 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.

· CLOSE RACE FOR THE TITLE: Stremme trails leading Raybestos® Rookie Contender Coy Gibbs by just six points (206-200) entering the race at Phoenix.

· DID YOU KNOW? The record for most Raybestos® Rookies to finish on the lead lap in a Busch Series race is six in the 2002 Cabela's 250 at Michigan International Speedway: Scott Riggs (sixth), Kasey Kahne (10th), Kerry Earnhardt (21st), Johnny Sauter (22nd), Shane Hmiel (25th), and Dan Pardus (27th).

· Stremme was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Atlanta. He led the race once for two laps.

· A STREAK IN DANGER: A Raybestos® Rookie has won a race 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).

· ALSO IN JEPORADY: A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one pole position in each of the past three seasons, dating back to 2000. In fact, a Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one pole position in four of the past five seasons: Steve Park (1997), Andy Santerre (1998), Kevin Harvick (2000), Greg Biffle (2001), Scott Riggs and Shane Hmiel (2002). Kenny Wallace (1989) has the record for most poles by a Raybestos® Rookie, winning three in his first season.

· Stremme and Chad Blount share the best qualifying run by a Raybestos® Rookie this season. Stremme started seventh at the Funai 250 at Richmond while Blount took the seventh starting position at the 1-800-PITSTOP.COM 300 at California Speedway.

· Four Raybestos® Rookies have led at least one lap in the Busch Series in 2003: Blount, Stremme, Clanton, and Gibbs. Blount has led once in one race for 56 laps (74.48 miles) while Stremme has led four times in four races for 37 laps (38.58 miles). Clanton has held the top spot once in one race for two laps (2.00 miles), while Gibbs has led once in one race (1.50 miles).

· Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race at the 2002 Bashas' 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Sauter placed seventh, one of six top-10 finishes he would collect in 2002.

· Kerry Earnhardt also had a good day at Phoenix, grabbing a tenth place finish, one of five he scored in 2002.

· Clanton is also the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish in the Busch Series. He finished fifth in July at Pikes Peak.

· David Stremme (2), Joey Clanton (1), and Chad Blount (1) are the only Raybestos® Rookies to score top-five finishes this season. Stremme also has more top-10 finishes this season than any other Raybestos® Rookie. He has five entering the Kansas race. Other rookies to score top-10 finishes: Coy Gibbs (2), Blount (2), and Clanton (1).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER           POINTS
Coy Gibbs           206
David Stremme       200
Joey Clanton        176
Chad Blount         172
Jason White         142
Regan Smith         139 
Chase Montgomery    105 
Damon Lusk          100
Chris Bingham        86     

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