Race 2 Win: Meijer 300 presented by Oreo

NASCAR Busch Series

Meijer 300 presented by Oreo - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Danny O’Quinn Jr. was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the June 10 Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. O’Quinn Jr. finished 10th, claiming his first top-10 finish in 15 career Busch Series starts and took top rookie honor for the second time in 2006. His previous best finish this season was 11th at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (race number six).

Todd Kluever won the Bud Pole at Nashville, his first pole in 15-career Busch Series starts. Kluever is the third Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole at Nashville, joining Shane Hmiel (2002) and Reed Sorenson (2005). He led the race once for 17 laps, the first time he has led this season.

Burney Lamar continues to lead the Raybestos® Rookie standings, holding a 15-point edge over John Andretti and Todd Kluever (149-134) entering the June 17 Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

Lamar is 12th in the NASCAR Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is 70 points behind 10th-place Kenny Wallace and holds a 15-point edge over 13th-place Jason Leffler.

Raybestos® Rookie Carl Edwards won the 2005 Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Edwards led four times for 90 laps and finished .690 seconds ahead of Martin Truex Jr. to score the win.

Edwards holds the Busch Series track record in qualifying at Kentucky. He won the pole for the 2005 event with a record lap of 29.787 seconds, 181.287 mph.

For the first time in the Kentucky Speedway’s history, Raybestos® Rookies have won back-to-back races. Kyle Busch won the 2004 Meijer 300 at Kentucky, finishing 1.274 seconds ahead of Greg Biffle.

Edwards and Scott Riggs are the only Raybestos® Rookies to win pole positions in five Busch Series races at Kentucky. Riggs took the top starting position in 2002.

The 2005 race marked the first time TWO Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-five at Kentucky: Edwards (first) and Reed Sorenson (fourth). The 2005 event also set a record for number of Raybestos® Rookies to finish inside the top-10. THREE drivers accomplished the feat: Edwards, Sorenson, and Jon Wood (10th).

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in all five previous races at Kentucky Speedway: 2001: Greg Biffle (second) and Jamie McMurray (10th). 2002: Scott Riggs (fourth) and Kerry Earnhardt (seventh) 2003: David Stremme, 10th 2004: Kyle Busch, first 2005: Carl Edwards, first 2005: Reed Sorenson, fourth 2005: Jon Wood, 10th

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Kentucky Speedway: 2001: Greg Biffle, second 2002: Scott Riggs, fourth 2004: Kyle Busch, first 2005: Carl Edwards, first 2005: Reed Sorenson, fourth

Riggs hold the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie at Kentucky Speedway, leading the 2002 event four times for 91 laps. Riggs and Edwards are the only first-year drivers to lead the most laps in a race at Kentucky.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap at Kentucky Speedway: 2002: Scott Riggs, four times for 91 laps. 2004: Kyle Busch, once for three laps, 2005: Carl Edwards, four times for 90 laps.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

Busch posted a record-setting year on his way to the 2004 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year title. In 34 starts, Busch won five times, captured 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. In 2003, he 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.

David Green was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a race, at Lanier, Ga., in 1991. Green captured the Nestle 200 by 1.58-seconds over Jeff Gordon, a fellow Raybestos® Rookie. A third Raybestos® Rookie, Bodine, placed eighth in the race.

Dennis Setzer was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win TWO or more races in a season. In 1994, he won the Ford Credit 300 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and The Pantry 300 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Steve Park was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win THREE or more races in a season. In 1997, he won the BellSouth Mobility/Opryland 300 at Nashville Speedway, the Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan Speedway and the Autolite Platinum 250 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Kenny Wallace was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole in the Busch Series. Wallace grabbed the top starting spot for the 1989 Goody’s 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, the first race in the history of the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year program.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Burney Lamar 149
John Andretti 134
Todd Kluever 134
Mark McFarland 127 
Danny O’Quinn Jr. 127
Joel Kauffman 55 
Tracy Hines 50 
A.J. Foyt IV 39
David Gilliland 23
Jorge Goeters 16
Kevin Conway 16
Chris Wimmer 14 

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Hershey’s Kissables 300 Lamar, second
Stater Bros. 300 Kluever, 12th 
telcel-MOTOROLA 200 McFarland, 15th 
Sam’s Town 300 Kluever, 21st 
Nicorette 300 Lamar, eighth
Sharpie Mini 300 Andretti, ninth
O’Reilly 300 Andretti, 19th 
Pepsi 300 Lamar, seventh
Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 O’Quinn Jr., 14th 
Aaron’s 312 McFarland, seventh
Circuit City 250 Andretti, 19th 
Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Andretti, 15th 
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Kluever, ninth
Stonebridgeracing.com 200 Kluever, 18th 
Federated Auto Parts 300 O’Quinn Jr., 10th