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

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Aaron's 312 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Reed Sorenson was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sorenson finished sixth, his sixth top-10 finish in nine career starts. He posted his third top 10 of the 2005 season and took top rookie honors for the third time in four races this season. Sorenson became the first Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-10 finish at Las Vegas since Scott Riggs finished fourth in 2002. Other Raybestos® Rookies to log a top-10 finish in the Sam’s Town 300: Steve Park (eighth in 1997), Ron Hornaday (eighth in 2000) and Greg Biffle (second in 2001).

Carl Edwards finished seventh at Las Vegas, scoring his fourth top-10 finish in four Busch Series races this season. Edwards dominated the race, leading the event six times for 125 laps to become the first Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in a Busch Series race this season. He leads the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year standings by three points over Sorenson (59-56). He is second in the Busch Series championship standings, 80 points behind leader Kevin Harvick entering the Aaron’s 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Edwards won the pole position at Las Vegas, his first in six career starts. He is the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position at Las Vegas and the first freshman driver to win a pole in 2005.

DID YOU KNOW? At least one Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in all four Busch Series races entering Saturday’s event at Atlanta.

DID YOU KNOW? Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished inside the top 10 in three of the four Busch Series races this season: Daytona (Sorenson, ninth and Edwards, 10th), California (Sorenson, fifth and Edwards, sixth); and Las Vegas (Sorenson, sixth and Edwards, seventh).

Edwards and Sorenson are the only Raybestos® Rookies to score a top-five finish this season. Edwards finished third at Mexico City and Sorenson placed fifth at California Speedway.

Edwards has more top-10 finishes (four) than any other Raybestos® Rookie. He is tied with Kevin Harvick for most top-10s in the Busch Series entering Saturday’s race at Atlanta.

Edwards has led more miles than any other Raybestos® Rookie. Entering the race at Atlanta, Edwards has led seven times in two races for 131 laps, 212.50 miles. Other Raybestos® Rookies to have led at least one lap this season are Boston Reid (once in one race for one lap for two miles) and Michel Jourdain (once in one race for two miles).

Raybestos Rookies at Atlanta

Kyle Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Aaron’s 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch finished second, equaling the best finish by a first-year driver in 13 Busch Series races at Atlanta (Greg Biffle finished second in 2001).

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

Only twice in 13 races have TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top 10 at Atlanta. Last year, Busch finished second while J.J. Yeley grabbed a 10th-place finish. In 2002, Scott Riggs placed fourth and Johnny Sauter claimed a 10th-place finish.

Only once in 13 races have TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies led at least one lap in the race. In 2002, Scott Riggs led twice for 12 laps while Brian Vickers also led twice for 12 laps.

Greg Biffle holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie in a Busch Series race at Atlanta. Biffle led once for 38 laps in the 2001 event.

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in each of the past FOUR 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)
2004: Kyle Busch (led twice for 17 laps)

No Raybestos® Rookie has won a pole in 13 Busch Series races at Atlanta.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS 

DRIVER                                POINTS
Carl Edwards                            59
Reed Sorenson                           56
Denny Hamlin                            32   
Jon Wood                                26
Michel Jourdain                         23
Ryan Hemphill                           22
Paul Wolfe                              21 
Brent Sherman                           14
Boston Reid                              8
Tyler Walker                             8
Kertus Davis                             8          
A.J. Fike                                7 
Kim Crosby                               6          
Donnie Neuenberger                       2   

HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
 
EVENT                               HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Hershey’s TAKE 5 300                Reed Sorenson, ninth
Stater Bros. 300                    Reed Sorenson, fifth
Telcel/Motorola Mexico 200          Carl Edwards, third
Sam’s Town 300                      Reed Sorenson, sixth

Raybestos® Rookie Reed Sorenson will be making his second Atlanta Busch Series start in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312. The 19-year old native of Peachtree City, Georgia ran well in his Atlanta Busch Series debut last October. He led the race three times for 47 laps but his strong run ended when he was caught up in an accident late in the race and he was left with a 29th-place finish.

In nine career Busch Series starts, Sorenson has racked up two top-five and six top-10 finishes entering Saturday’s race. He trails Carl Edwards by three points (59-56) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings. Sorenson is fourth in the Busch Series championship standings, seven behind third place Clint Bowyer and 126 behind leader Kevin Harvick.

REED SORENSON, No. 41 DISCOUNT TIRE COMPANY DODGE: “We’re going to have a lot of hometown fans there so you always want to do good in front of them. We were fast there last year so that was pretty cool to be fast at your hometown track so hopefully we’ll be good again. You’ve got the hometown fans there, I’ve got family there, and my friends are going to be there and you don’t want to do bad in front of them. We’re taking that same car back there so we should be pretty good.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED HOW WELL YOU RAN AT ATLANTA LAST FALL? “We tested there and we tested really good and as the race progressed on we were really good on longer runs. I was kind of surprised but we had a good car at the same time.”

YOUR RACING CAREER STARTED THERE IN THE LEGENDS CARS. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR FIRST RACE? “It was so long ago. I was only 12 years old [smiles]. Just being in a facility like that when you are 12 is pretty neat. Now it’s kind of cool to go back there and run on the big track.” W

OULD IT BE EXTRA SPECIAL TO RUN WELL THERE, OR IS IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER TRACK? “As far as the season goes, there’s not too much difference there but on a personal level you always want to do good there.”

IS ATLANTA ENJOYABLE FOR YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANNY DIFFERERNT GROOVES? “I stayed out on the bottom the whole time. Our car was really good down there. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the racetracks that I’ve been to this year.”

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