Race 2 Win: Goody’s 250 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Goody’s 250 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Mark McFarland was the Raybestos® Rookie in the July 15 New England 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway. McFarland finished 11th and took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the third time this season. The finish was his best effort since he placed seventh in the April 29 Aaron’s 312 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Burney Lamar leads the Raybestos® Rookie standings by five points (169-164) over John Andretti entering the July 22 Goody’s 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Andretti is 12th in the NASCAR Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is 33 points behind 11th-place Jason Leffler and trails 10th-place Kenny Wallace by 98. Andretti leads 13th-place Jon Wood by 67 points.

DID YOU KNOW? Todd Kluever has led more miles (22.66) and more laps (17) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in the Busch Series this season.

The Goody’s 250 is the first Busch Series race at Martinsville since October 16, 1994. Johnny Benson Jr. finished 13th to capture Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors.

Since the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year program was created in the Busch Series in 1989, there have been 14 races at Martinsville Speedway. In 1989 and 1990, the series ran three events each season at Martinsville.

DID YOU KNOW? The only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole at Martinsville is Ricky Craven, who captured the top starting spot for the 1992 Miller 500.

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Martinsville:
1989: Kenny Wallace, seventh (March race)
1989: Jeff Burton, 10th (March race)
1989: Dave Rezendes, seventh (September race)
1990: Bobby Moon, fourth (September race)
1990: Dave Mader III, 10th (September race)
1991: Todd Bodine, fourth (October race)
1991: Jeff Gordon, eighth (October race)
1993: Hermie Sadler, fourth (March race)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Martinsville:
1990: Bobby Moon, fourth (September race)
1991: Todd Bodine, fourth (October race)
1993: Hermie Sadler, fourth (March race)

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

Kyle 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 169
John Andretti 164
Todd Kluever 161
Danny O’Quinn Jr. 152 
Mark McFarland 151
Tracy Hines 72 
Joel Kauffman 68
David Gilliland 44 
A.J. Foyt IV 39 
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 
Meijer 300 Gilliland, FIRST
AT&T 250 O’Quinn Jr., seventh
Winn-Dixie 250 Andretti, 10th 
USG Durock 300 Kluever, 18th 
New England 200 McFarland, 11th