Funai 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 Charter 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Busch finished fifth, his fourth top-five and seventh top-10 finish of the season. He has been the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in nine of the 10 races this season. Busch stretched his lead to 60 points over Paul Menard (162-102) in the Raybestos® Rookie Standings entering the Funai 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

· Busch is third in the Busch Series championship standings, 13 points behind second place Michael Waltrip and 29 behind leader Martin Truex, Jr. He holds a 57-point advantage over fourth-place David Green and has a 64-point lead over fifth place Robby Gordon. No other Raybestos® Rookie ranks in the top-20 in the standings.

· Entering Friday's race at Richmond, Busch has led the most miles and laps of any Raybestos® Rookie. He has led 11 times for 196 laps (289.69 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 RICHMOND

· David Stremme was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2003 Funai 250 at Richmond. Stremme finished 14th, and was one of just two first-year drivers to finish on the lead lap. Chad Blount, who finished 17th, was the other Raybestos® Rookie that completed all 250 laps.

· The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in the spring race at Richmond is third, by Kevin Harvick in 2000.

· The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the spring race at Richmond is Scott Wimmer in 2001. Wimmer led once for seven laps on his way to a seventh place finish.

· At least one Raybestos® Rookie has finished on the lead lap in each of the last four spring races at Richmond.

· A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-10 in three of the last four spring races at Richmond: Harvick (2000), Wimmer (2001), and Brian Vickers (seventh in 2002).

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 162 Paul Menard 102 Donnie Neuenberger 55 Clint Bowyer 53 J.J. Yeley 49 Stan Boyd 40 Billy Parker 38 Rick Markle 20 Travis Geisler 16

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