Pocono 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

· Jamie McMurray was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 at Dover International Speedway. McMurray placed 13th and was the only first year driver to finish on the lead lap. He took top finishing rookie honors for the fourth time this season and stretched his lead to six points (144-138) over Greg Biffle in the Raybestos® Rookie standings.

· McMurray is 21st in Winston Cup points, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is just eight points ahead of Biffle, who is 22nd in the series standings.

· McMurray has racked up more top-fives (two) and more top-10 finishes (3) than any other Raybestos® Rookie. McMurray has also led more miles (six times in one race for 41 laps, 82.00 miles) than any other freshman driver. Casey Mears is the only other first year driver to lead at least one lap this season (he led the Daytona 500 once for one lap, 2.50 miles).

· Jimmie Johnson has the best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie at Pocono since 1998, a third place effort in the 2002 Pocono 500. He finished third and took top rookie honors for the third consecutive race. Johnson was the only first year driver to finish on the lead lap.

· DID YOU KNOW? In the 10 most recent Winston Cup races at Pocono, no Raybestos® Rookie has led at least one lap in BOTH the Pocono 500 and Pennsylvania 500.

· Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score two top-10 finishes in BOTH Pocono races dating back to June 1998. In 1999, Stewart finished sixth in the Pocono 500 and fourth in the Pennsylvania 500.

· In the 10 most recent Winston Cup races at Pocono, the most Raybestos® Rookies to finish on the lead lap in a race is three: 1998 Pocono 500 (Kenny Irwin, Kevin Lepage, and Jerry Nadeau) and the 2001 Pennsylvania 500 (Casey Atwood, Kevin Harvick, and Jason Leffler).

· All six Raybestos® Rookies entered in the Pocono 500 will be making their first Winston Cup start at the 2.5-mile speedway.

· Ryan Newman was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the 2002 Pocono 500, holding the top spot once for 19 laps. Newman's strong run was cut short when his car was damaged in an accident, forcing him behind the wall for repairs. He was credited with a 32nd place finish.

· Raybestos® Rookie Carl Long made his first start of the 2002 season last June at Pocono. Long's afternoon was cut short by mechanical problems and he was forced to park his car after just 18 laps. He was credited with a 42nd place finish.

· 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          144
Greg Biffle             138
Casey Mears             117
Jack Sprague            115 
Tony Raines             111
Larry Foyt               71
Hideo Fukuyama           11

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                

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