Race 2 Win: Charter 250 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Busch Series

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Charter 250 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

Kyle Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Stater Bros. 300 at California Speedway. Busch finished seventh, his sixth top-10 finish of the season. He has been the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in eight of the nine races this season. Busch stretched his lead to 50 points over Paul Menard (135-85) in the Raybestos® Rookie Standings entering Saturday's Charter 250 at Gateway International Raceway.

Busch is second in the Busch Series championship standings, 52-points behind leader Michael Waltrip. He holds a one-point advantage over third place Martin Truex Jr. and has a 32-point lead over fourth place David Green. No other Raybestos® Rookie ranks in the top-20 in the standings.

Entering Saturday's race at Gateway, Busch has led the most miles and laps of any Raybestos® Rookie. He has led ten times for 195 laps (288.44 miles). Bowyer has held the top spot four times for 104 laps (138.32 miles). No other Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap this season.

Only two Raybestos® Rookies have started every Busch Series race this season: Kyle Busch and Paul Menard.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIES AT GATEWAY

David Stremme was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2003 Charter Pipeline 250, coming away with a 14th place finish.

The only Raybestos® Rookie to win at Gateway is Kevin Harvick, who won the 2000 Charter 250. Harvick dominated the race, leading five times for 110 laps and remains the only first-year driver to lead the most laps at Gateway.

The two most recent Raybestos® Rookies to lead a lap at Gateway are Johnny Sauter and Casey Mears who each held the top spot in the 2002 event. Sauter led twice for five laps while Mears led once for one lap.

Greg Biffle is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position in seven races at Gateway. He took the top starting spot for 2001 race.

Biffle is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish at Gateway, scoring a fifth place finish in 2001.

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 SEVEN all time records by the rookie of the year: 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 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 135
Paul Menard 85
Donnie Neuenberger 50
Clint Bowyer 35
J.J. Yeley 33
Stan Boyd 29
Billy Parker 27
Rick Markle 18
Travis Geisler 7
Brian Conz 1

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

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