Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Diamond Hill Plywood 200 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the May 4 Circuit City 250 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Montoya finished 11th and took top rookie honors for the fourth time this season.

David Ragan holds a one-point edge over Juan Pablo Montoya (111-110) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 11 Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Ragan is eighth in the Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is three points behind seventh-place Bobby Hamilton Jr. and leads ninth-place Juan Pablo Montoya by 37.

Three Raybestos® Rookies have captured WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the Busch Series this season: Brad Coleman (Talladega, race No. 10), Marcos Ambrose (Las Vegas, race No. 4) and Montoya (Mexico City, race No. 3).

DID YOU KNOW? Montoya has led more laps than any other Raybestos® Rookie this season, holding the top spot five times in two races for a total of 51 laps.

DID YOU KNOW? Ragan is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position this season, capturing the top starting spot for the O’Reilly 300 (race No. 8) at Texas Motor Speedway.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one race in each of the past FOUR consecutive seasons (2004-2007).

John Andretti was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2005 Diamond Hill Plywood 200, posting a 15th-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? Kyle Busch is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Darlington. He held the top spot once for 12 laps in the November 2004 Bi-Lo 200.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Darlington (since 1989):
1991: Todd Bodine, fifth (spring race)
1991: Todd Bodine, third (fall race)
1994: Johnny Benson, fourth (fall race)

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Darlington (since 1989):
1990: Dave Mader III, eighth (fall race)
1991: Jeff Gordon, ninth (spring race)
1991: Todd Bodine, fifth (spring race)
1991: Todd Bodine, third (fall race)
1994: Johnny Benson, fourth (fall race)
1994: Dennis Setzer, 10th (fall race)
2000: Ron Hornaday, eighth (spring race)
2000: Kevin Harvick, 10th (fall race)
2002: Scott Riggs, 10th (fall race)
2005: Denny Hamlin, seventh

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, Todd 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 (Tenn.) Speedway, the Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan International 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
David Ragan 111
Juan Pablo Montoya 110
Marcos Ambrose 103 
Kyle Krisiloff 94
Brad Keselowski 57
Brad Coleman 50 
Justin Diercks 39
Sam Hornish Jr. 35
Robert Richardson Jr. 23
Alex Garcia 7
Bobby Santos 6 

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
ORBITZ 300 Ambrose, 16th 
Stater Bros. 300 Peters, 17th 
Telcel-Motorola 200 Montoya, FIRST
Sam’s Town 300 Ambrose, 10th 
Nicorette 300 Montoya, eighth
Sharpie Mini 300 Ragan, 13th 
Pepsi 300 Coleman, 15th 
O’Reilly 300 Ragan, fifth
Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Montoya, 21st 
Aaron’s 312 Ragan, fourth
Circuit City 250 Montoya, 11th