Race 2 Win: Aaron's 312 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Busch Series

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Aaron's 312 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

Clint Bowyer was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Sam's Town 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Bowyer scored a fourth-place finish, his fourth top-five and seventh top-10 of the 2004 season. He took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the fifth time this season. Bowyer was the only first-year driver to finish inside the top-10.

Kyle Busch enters the Aaron's 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway tied with Greg Biffle for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie in the Busch Series since the program was created in 1989. Biffle won five races for car owner Jack Roush in 2001.

Busch was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Memphis, holding the top spot twice for 59 laps. He has led 32 times in 17 races for 925 laps (1193.11 miles) in 2004, the most of any NASCAR Busch Series driver this season.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIES AT ATLANTA

The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in 12 Busch Series races at Atlanta is second by Greg Biffle in 2001. Biffle finished 10.647 seconds behind race winner Joe Nemechek.

The only other Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish at Atlanta: Scott Riggs, who grabbed a fourth-place finish in 2002.

Only once in 12 races have TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-10 at Atlanta. In 2002, Riggs placed fourth and Johnny Sauter claimed a 10th-place finish.

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in each of the past three consecutive Busch Series races at Atlanta:
2001: Greg Biffle (led once for 38 laps)
2002: Scott Riggs (led twice for 12 laps)
2002: Brian Vickers (led twice for 12 laps)
2003: David Stremme (led once for two laps)

No Raybestos® Rookie has won a pole in 12 previous Busch Series races at Atlanta.

David Stremme was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2003 Aaron's 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Stremme finished 12th, the only first-year driver to finish on the lead lap.

MORE NOTES

Busch owns the record for most poles by a Raybestos® Rookie in the Busch Series. Entering the race at Atlanta, he has won four poles: Nazareth, Texas, Darlington, and Richmond. Kenny Wallace, who won three poles in 1989, held the previous mark.

Busch scored back-to-back wins for the first time in his career this season when he won the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park then backed up his victory one week later by taking the checkered flag in the Cabela's 250 at Michigan International Speedway.

The Cabela's 250 at Michigan International Speedway was the SIXTH race this season where Busch has led the most laps and the SEVENTH race where a Raybestos® Rookie has led the most laps. The other races where Busch has led the most laps: Nashville-June, Richmond, Texas, Charlotte, and Chicagoland. Raybestos® Rookie Clint Bowyer led the most laps in one race: Nashville-April. Bowyer has led five times in two races for 108 laps (144.63 miles).

Busch maintains a commanding lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings over Paul Menard (330-184) entering the race at Atlanta.

Other Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap this season are J.J. Yeley and Billy Parker. Yeley has led three times in two races for 42 laps (46.56 miles), while Parker led once in one race for five laps (10.00 miles).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE RECORDS

David Stremme was the 2003 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Stremme started just 18 of the 34 races, a record number for fewest starts for a driver to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. He was the top rookie finisher in 16 of those starts. He was the only Raybestos® Rookie to score three top-three finishes and had more top-10 finishes (seven) than any other first-year driver. He led six races for a total of 86 laps.

2001 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year Greg Biffle holds or shares SEVEN all-time rookie of the year records: most wins (five), most top-fives (16), most top-10s (21), most money won ($1,623,546), most points (4,509), most laps led (948) and most races led (19).

The best championship finish by a Raybestos® Rookie: third place by Steve Park (1997) and Kevin Harvick (2000).

Hermie Sadler was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a race, at Rougemont, North Carolina, in 1993.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER              POINTS
Kyle Busch   330
Paul Menard   184
Clint Bowyer   182
J.J. Yeley   166  
Billy Parker     74
   
HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT               HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Hershey's Kisses 300 Kyle Busch, 24th           
Goody's Headache Powder 200 Kyle Busch, seventh
Sam's Town 300 Kyle Busch, 15th 
Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Kyle Busch, 17th
Sharpie Professional 250 Kyle Busch, third
O'Reilly 300 Kyle Busch, second
Pepsi 300 Clint Bowyer, fourth
Aaron's 312 Kyle Busch, fourth
Stater Bros. 300 Kyle Busch, seventh
Charter 250 Kyle Busch, fifth
Funai 250 Kyle Busch, first
Goulds Pumps 200 Kyle Busch, 10th 
Carquest Auto Parts 300 Kyle Busch, first
MBNA America 200 Kyle Busch, fifth
Federated Auto Parts 300 Clint Bowyer, third
Meijer 300 Kyle Busch, first
Alan Kulwicki 250 Clint Bowyer, 10th 
Winn-Dixie 250 Kyle Busch, 11th 
Tropicana Twister 300 J.J. Yeley, ninth
Siemens 200 Paul Menard, 18th 
Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 250 Clint Bowyer, ninth
Kroger 200 Kyle Busch, first
Cabela's 250 Kyle Busch, first
Food City 250 Kyle Busch, third
Target House 300 Kyle Busch, ninth
Emerson Radio 250 Kyle Busch, fifth
Stacker 200 Kyle Busch, ninth
Mr. Goodcents 300 J.J. Yeley, sixth
SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 Kyle Busch, fifth
Sam's Town 250 Clint Bowyer, fourth

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