Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Meijer 300 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

David Ragan was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the June 9 Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Ragan finished seventh, his third top-10 effort of the 2007 season, and took top rookie honors for the fifth time in 2007.

Ragan grabbed the lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings with his good finish at Nashville. He leads Marcos Ambrose by six points (154-148) entering the June 16 Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

Raybestos® Rookie David Gilliland won the 2006 Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Gilliland led just once, covering the final 11 laps, and crossed the finish line .306 seconds ahead of J.J. Yeley.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has won the last THREE consecutive NASCAR Busch Series races at Kentucky Speedway. In addition to Gilliland’s victory in 2006, Carl Edwards captured the 2005 race by .690 seconds over Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Busch won the 2004 Meijer 300 by 1.274 seconds ahead of Greg Biffle.

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 Clint Bowyer by 42.

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 Juan Pablo 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? TWO Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions this season: David Ragan (O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, race No. 8) and Brad Coleman (Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, race No. 10).

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

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie holds the Busch Series track qualifying record at Kentucky Speedway. Carl Edwards won the pole for the 2005 event with a record lap of 29.787 seconds, 181.287 mph.

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 six 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
2006: David Gilliland, FIRST

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
2006: David Gilliland, FIRST

Riggs hold the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie at Kentucky Speedway. 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.
2006: David Gilliland, once for 11 laps 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 154
Marcos Ambrose 148 
Juan Pablo Montoya 137 
Kyle Krisiloff 129
Brad Keselowski 87
Brad Coleman 50 
Justin Diercks 44
Robert Richardson Jr. 38
Sam Hornish Jr. 35
Bobby Santos 13 
Alex Garcia 7

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 
Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Ragan, 13th 
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Ambrose, 20th 
Dover 200 Ambrose, sixth
Federated Auto Parts 300 Ragan, seventh