New England 300 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

· Raybestos® Rookie Jamie McMurray was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. McMurray finished eighth, his fourth top-10 of the 2003 season. He is second in the Raybestos® Rookie standings, eight points behind Greg Biffle (196-188) entering the New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

· McMurray was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Chicagoland, leading once for one lap. He has led more miles than any other Raybestos® Rookie entering Sunday's race at New Hampshire: seven times in two races for 83.50 miles (42 laps). The other rookies to lead this season: Greg Biffle (twice in two races for 54.50 miles, 22 laps) and Casey Mears (once in one race for 2.50 miles, one lap).

· A Raybestos® Rookie has now led at least one lap in all three Winston Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway.

· DID YOU KNOW? The best qualifying run by a Raybestos® Rookie for the New England 300 at New Hampshire (July race) is second by Robert Pressley in 1995.

· 2002 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year Ryan Newman is one of only two drivers to win a race at New Hampshire from the pole. Newman won last September's New Hampshire 300, joining Jeff Gordon (1998 fall race). No driver has won the July race from the pole.

· Newman was the top rookie finisher and qualifier at the New England 300. Newman started seventh and finished fifth in the race, the only first-year driver to finish inside the top-10. He also led the race once for one lap and was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the race.

· Jimmie Johnson also finished on the lead lap last July at New Hampshire, collecting a 15th place finish.

· With Biffle's win in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, a Raybestos® Rookie has now won at least one race in each of the last five seasons dating back to Tony Stewart's win at Richmond International Raceway in September, 1999. Other freshman drivers to win: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Richmond, 2000), Matt Kenseth (Charlotte, 2000), Kevin Harvick (Atlanta, 2001), Ryan Newman (New Hampshire 2002), and Jimmie Johnson (California and both 2002 Dover races). The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Johnson (2002) and Stewart (1999).

· 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 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
Greg Biffle             196
Jamie McMurray          188
Casey Mears             158
Jack Sprague            152 
Tony Raines             144
Larry Foyt               91
Hideo Fukuyama           17
 
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 
Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500      Greg Biffle, 13th 
Carolina Dodge Dealers 400   Greg Biffle, 12th 
Food City 500                Greg Biffle, fifth
Samsung/RadioShack 500       Jamie McMurray, 10th 
Aaron's 499                  Tony Raines, 16th 
Virginia 500                 Greg Biffle, 18th 
Auto Club 500                Jamie McMurray, fifth
Pontiac Excitement 400       Tony Raines, 14th 
Coca-Cola 600                Greg Biffle, 16th 
MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 Jamie McMurray, 13th 
Pocono 500                   Greg Biffle, 20th 
Sirius 400                   Jamie McMurray, 14th 
Dodge/Save Mart 350          Jamie McMurray, 20th            
Pepsi 400                    Greg Biffle, first
Tropicana 400                Jamie McMurray, eighth

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