Race 2 Win: Bashas' Supermarkets 200 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

Busch Series

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2004 Schedule and Results | 2003 Schedule and Results

Bashas' Supermarkets 200 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Raybestos® Rookie Reed Sorenson finished third in the April 16 O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, his fourth top-five of the 2005 season. Sorenson led the race twice for 28 laps and took top rookie honors for the sixth time in eight races, including the last three. He has scored three consecutive top-five finishes, including his first win, in the last three races.

Carl Edwards finished fourth, his fourth top-five and eighth top-10 of the season. Edwards leads the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year standings by 13 points (129-116) and the Busch Series championship standings by 76 over Sorenson entering the Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix (Az.) International Raceway.

This is the first time in 2005 that FOUR Raybestos® Rookies are among the top-10 in the Busch Series championship standings: Edwards, Sorenson, Denny Hamlin (sixth), and Jon Wood (10th).

THREE Raybestos® Rookies have been in the top 10 in Busch Series points for the last FIVE consecutive races

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in all eight Busch Series races this year.

The O'Reilly 300 is the third race this season where THREE Raybestos® Rookies finished inside the top 10: Sorenson, Edwards (seventh), and Jon Wood (eighth). The Pepsi 300 at Nashville and the Sharpie Professional 250 were the others.

Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished inside the top 10 in seven of the eight Busch Series races this season.

Edwards and Sorenson are the only Raybestos® Rookies to score a top-five finish this season.

Edwards has finished in the top 10 in each of the eight Busch Series races this season.

Raybestos Rookies at Phoenix International Raceway:

Greg Biffle is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a Busch Series event in six previous races at Phoenix. He edged Jeff Green and Kevin Harvick to win the 2001 race, an event that ended under caution.

Biffle and Kyle Busch are the only Raybestos® Rookies to lead the most laps in a Busch Series race at Phoenix. Biffle led twice for 112 of the 200 laps in 2001 while Busch led four times for 151 laps in 2004.

Only two Raybestos® Rookie have won a pole at Phoenix: Kyle Busch (2004) and Jason Leffler (2000).

Only once in the five previous races have TWO Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-five at Phoenix. In 2000, Jason Leffler placed second while Ron Hornaday grabbed a fifth place finish.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Phoenix:
2000: Jason Leffler, second
2000: Ron Hornaday, fifth
2001: Greg Biffle, first
2004: Kyle Busch, second

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Phoenix:
2000: Jason Leffler, second
2000: Ron Hornaday, fifth
2001: Greg Biffle, first
2001: Scott Wimmer, seventh
2002: Johnny Sauter, seventh
2002: Kerry Earnhardt, 10th
2004: Kyle Busch, second

Season Tidbits

This is the third since the Raybestos® Rookie program was created in 1989 that rookie contenders are one-two in the Busch Series championship standings.

This is the first time since 2002 where two or more Raybestos® Rookies have won in the same season.

Sorenson's margin of victory in the March 26 Pepsi 300 at Nashville (TN) is the largest ever by a Raybestos® Rookie driver in the Busch Series. The previous record: Greg Biffle's 13.302-second margin of victory in the 2001 GNC Live Well 250 at The Milwaukee Mile.

Raybestos® Rookie Records

Kyle Busch was the 2004 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. In 34 starts, Busch won five races, five poles, and scored 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. His second-place finish in the Busch Series championship standings is a record for a Raybestos® Rookie. Other Raybestos® Rookie records Busch owns or shares: most starts (34), most wins (tied with Biffle), most top-fives (tied with Biffle), most top 10s, most money won ($2,027,050), most championship points (4,943), most laps led (1,108) and most races led (21).

David Stremme holds the record for fewest starts by a driver to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Stremme started just 18 of the 34 races and 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.

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

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Carl Edwards 128
Reed Sorenson 116
Denny Hamlin 71
Jon Wood 61
Michel Jourdain Jr. 52
Ryan Hemphill 35
Brent Sherman 31
Kertus Davis 26
Paul Wolfe 21
Blake Feese 18
Tyler Walker 17
Brandon Miller 12
Boston Reid 11
Kim Crosby 8
A.J. Fike 7
Donnie Neuenberger 2
Kevin Conway 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
Aaron's 312 Carl Edwards, first
Pepsi 300 Reed Sorenson, first
Sharpie Professional 250 Reed Sorenson, third
O'Reilly 300 Reed Sorenson, third

News and Results | Point Standings | 2004 Schedule | 2003 Schedule and Results | 2002 Schedule and Results