Race 2 Win: Nationwide Series Race Notes

Nationwide Series

Stater Bros. 300 - Raybestos Rookies Notes

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

Bryan Clauson was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the February 16 Camping World 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Clauson scored a sixth-place finish in the race, his best finish in six NASCAR Nationwide Series races.

Clauson holds a six-point lead (16-10) over Dario Franchitti in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the Feb. 23 Stater Bros. 300 at California Speedway.

THE SEASON STARTS WITH A STREAK: At least two Raybestos® Rookies have been in the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings for 21 consecutive races, dating back to the 2007 race at Kentucky Speedway (race No. 16).

Timothy Peters was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2007 Stater Bros. 300, scoring a 17th-place finish.

David Ragan scored the best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie last season at California Speedway. Ragan grabbed a 10th-place finish in the September event.

DID YOU KNOW? Scott Riggs is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at California Speedway. Riggs won the 2002 event by .991 second over Jeff Green.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at California:
1997: Steve Park, second
2002: Scott Riggs, first
2004: Reed Sorenson, fifth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at California:
1997: Steve Park, second
2002: Scott Riggs, first
2003: Kyle Busch, seventh
2005: Reed Sorenson, fifth
2005: Carl Edwards, sixth
2007: David Ragan, 10th

DID YOU KNOW? Greg Biffle is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the 15 Nationwide Series races at California. Biffle led six times for 90 laps in the 2001 race.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Bryan Clauson 16
Dario Franchitti 10
Cale Gale 9

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Camping World 300 Clauson, sixth

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

David Ragan captured 2007 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Ragan edged Marcos Ambrose by 27 points (272-245) for the honor. Ragan finished the season with two poles, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. His best finish of the season was a third-place effort in the Sam’s Town 250 at Memphis (Millington, Tenn.) Motorsports Park (race no. 32). Ragan was fifth in the Nationwide Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

Roush Fenway Racing has won THREE consecutive Raybestos® Rookie of the Year titles in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and FOUR since 2001. The others:
2006: Danny O’Quinn Jr.
2005: Carl Edwards
2001: Greg Biffle

Danny O’Quinn Jr. narrowly edged John Andretti to win the 2006 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year title in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. O’Quinn Jr. finished one point higher than Andretti in the final standings, the closet margin in NASCAR national series history. He also became the second driver in series history to win the award without completing the full schedule.

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 Nationwide 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 Nationwide 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.