Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 250 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

· Paul Menard was the Raybestos® Rookie of the race in the Siemens 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Menard finished 18th in his first start of the season for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

· Kyle Busch maintains a commanding lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings over Paul Menard (270-154) entering the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 300 at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

· Busch is second in the Busch Series championship standings, 94 points behind leader Martin Truex Jr.

· DID YOU KNOW? Busch has led the most miles and laps of any Busch Series driver entering the race at Pikes Peak. He has led 23 times in 12 races for 697 laps (896.38 miles). Other Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap this season are Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley, and Billy Parker. Bowyer has held the top spot five times in two races for 108 laps (144.63 miles), Yeley has led twice in once race for 25 laps (37.50 miles), while Parker led once in one race for five laps (10.00 miles).

· A Raybestos® Rookie has led the most laps in six of the 20 races this season. Busch has led the most laps in FIVE races (Nashville-June, Richmond, Texas, Charlotte, and Chicagoland) while Clint Bowyer led the most laps at Nashville (April).

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

· Busch won the Funai 250 at Richmond International Raceway from the pole, becoming the first Raybestos® Rookie to win from the Bud Pole since the program was established in 1989.

· Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookies to start every Busch Series race this season.

PIKES PEAK RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE TIDBITS

· Joey Clanton was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2003 TrimSpa 250 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Clanton finished fifth, equally the best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in six Busch Series races at the one-mile oval. Clanton also led the race once for two laps. Greg Biffle finished fifth in the 2001 event.

· The only other driver to score a top-10 finish at Pikes Peak is Ron Hornaday, who finished ninth in the 2000 race.

· Three Raybestos® Rookies have led a lap since the Busch Series began competing at Pikes Peak in 1998:
2003: Joey Clanton (once for two laps)
2001: Greg Biffle (twice for 35 laps)
2000: Jay Sauter (once for 19 laps)

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 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 279
Paul Menard 157
J.J. Yeley 122
Clint Bowyer 118
Billy Parker 74
Stan Boyd 67
Donnie Neuenberger 55
Travis Geisler 54
Rick Markle 32

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, tenth
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