Race 2 Win: Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Winston Cup Series

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Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Casey Mears was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mears finished 15th, his best finish of the 2003 season and best of his three race Winston Cup career. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has had the highest finishing Raybestos® Rookie in two of the first three Winston Cup races this season.

Entering Sunday's race at Atlanta, Mears is the only Raybestos® Rookie that has led a lap this season. He led once for one lap in the Daytona 500.

Each of the three Winston Cup races this season has had a different Raybestos® Rookie of the Race: Jack Sprague (Daytona), Jamie McMurray (Rockingham), and Casey Mears (Las Vegas).

McMurray had a tough day at Las Vegas. He ran in the top-10 throughout the first half of the race but wrestled an ill handling car for the second half of the event. He spun on lap 167, bringing out the fifth caution of the day. McMurray soldiered on to finish 32nd.

Despite his tough day at Las Vegas, McMurray leads the chase for Raybestos® Rookie of the Year by four points (33-29) over teammate Casey Mears entering the Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Tony Raines scored his best career Winston Cup finish at Las Vegas. Raines placed 24th, bettering his previous career best finish of 29th which came at Atlanta Motor Speedway last October.

Four of the five Raybestos® Rookies that started the Las Vegas event were running at the finish: Mears, Raines, Jack Sprague (26th), and McMurray. The lone exception was Larry Foyt, who was sidelined by a vibration and was credited with a 35th place finish.

McMurray was the highest qualifying Raybestos® Rookie for the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400. He started 12th and has taken top qualifying honors for all three Winston Cup races in 2003.

Five of the six Raybestos® Rookies entered at Las Vegas qualified for the race, four on their speed: McMurray, Casey Mears (18th), Larry Foyt (31st), and Tony Raines (32nd). Jack Sprague used a provisional and started the race from the 42nd position.

The Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway is the only race this season where all six Raybestos® Rookies qualified for the same Winston Cup race and all six were running at the finish of the race.

Jimmie Johnson was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2002 MBNA America 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Johnson placed third and scored his first top-five finish of the 2002 season.

Ryan Newman was the highest qualifying Raybestos® Rookie at Atlanta, claiming the second starting position. He led the race once for 15 laps on his way to scoring a 10th place finish. Newman was the only freshman driver to lead a lap at Atlanta.

Raybestos® Rookie Shawna Robinson qualified for the MBNA America 500 at Atlanta. She started 31st and finished 34th, but was running at the end of the race.

Newman and Johnson became the third pair of Raybestos® Rookies to win in their rookie season. They joined Morgan Shepherd (Martinsville) and Ron Bouchard (Talladega) in 1981 and Matt Kenseth (Charlotte) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Texas and Richmond) in 2000.

A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories five times in NASCAR Winston Cup history: Davey Allison (two wins in 1987), Tony Stewart (three wins in 1999), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two wins in 2000), Kevin Harvick (two wins in 2001), and Jimmie Johnson (two wins in 2002).

A Raybestos® Rookie Contender has won at least one race in each of the last four seasons dating back to Tony Stewart's win at Richmond in September, 1999. Other freshman drivers to win: Earnhardt Jr. (Richmond, 2000), Matt Kenseth (Charlotte, 2000), Harvick (Atlanta, 2001), Newman (New Hampshire 2002), and Johnson (Charlotte and both 2002 Dover races). The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is held by Stewart, who won three races in 1999.

A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one pole position in each of the past seven consecutive seasons, dating back to 1996. The record for most poles in a rookie season is held by Ryan Newman, who won six in 2002.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER              POINTS
Jamie McMurray          33
Casey Mears             29
Jack Sprague            28
Tony Raines             23 
Greg Biffle             21
Larry Foyt              14
Hideo Fukuyama           7
 
HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIES BY RACE

EVENT                           HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500                     Jack Sprague, 14th 
Subway 400                      Jamie McMurray, fifth
UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400        Casey Mears, 15th

News and Results | Point Standings | 2003 Schedule | 2003 Teams | 2002 Schedule and Results