Race 2 Win: Sharpie 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Sharpie 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

Travis Kvapil was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the August 21 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Kvapil finished 38th and took top rookie honors for the seventh time this season.

Kyle Busch maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie entering the August 27 Sharpie 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, leading Kvapil by 51 points (265-214).

Raybestos® Rookies in Sharpie 500

Scott Riggs was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, claiming a 17th-place finish.

The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in the night race at Bristol is second by Kevin Harvick in 2001.

Since 1975, only one Raybestos® Rookie has won the pole position for the August race at Bristol: Tony Stewart. Stewart grabbed the top starting spot for the 1999 Sharpie 500.

Stewart is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the August race at Bristol. Stewart led once for 225 laps in the 1999 race on his way to a fifth place finish. Since 1975, no Raybestos® Rookie has led more laps than Stewart in the night race at Bristol.

DID YOU KNOW? Stewart is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the Sharpie 500. No first-year driver has led a lap in any of the past five night races at Bristol.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol (since 1975):
1981: Ron Bouchard, fifth (once for one lap)
2001: Kevin Harvick, second
2003: Jamie McMurray, third

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, 10th
1977: Janet Guthrie, sixth
1978: Roger Hamby, 10th
1979: Joe Millikan, sixth
1979: Terry Labonte, eighth
1981: Ron Bouchard, fifth
1981: Tim Richmond, eighth
1982: Geoffrey Bodine, 10th
1984: Greg Sacks, ninth
1986: Alan Kulwicki, 10th
1989: Jimmy Spencer, eighth
1992: Jimmy Hensley, seventh
1993: Kenny Wallace, ninth
1998: Kevin Lepage, 10th
1999: Tony Stewart, fifth
2001: Kevin Harvick, second

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol (since 1975):
1979: Harry Gant (once for 16 laps)
1981: Morgan Shepherd (once for 104 laps)
1986: Alan Kulwicki (twice for two laps)
1994: Joe Nemechek (once for 14 laps)
1995: Ricky Craven (once for one lap)
1999: Tony Stewart (once for 225 laps)

Season Tidbits:

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season – placing second at Las Vegas and Dover (Del.) and fourth at Richmond (Va.) and Pocono.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to post three consecutive top-10 finishes this season: Michigan, Pocono and Dover.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead in back-to-back races this season. He led twice for 55 laps at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 29 and twice for 90 laps at Dover on June 5.

Busch is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position this year. He took the top starting spot for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. He is the youngest pole winner in NEXTEL Cup history.

Busch has led more miles (184.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in 2005 (seven times in four races for 155 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48 miles).

Busch is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap. He led twice for 90 circuits June 5 at Dover (race number 13).

The Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is the only race this season where TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies led a lap in the same event. Busch held the top spot twice for 55 laps while Kvapil led twice for 23.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, SIX Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Gordon (1993), Stewart (1999) and Matt Kenseth (2000).

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 10 years (1996-2005). There has been a first-time Bud Pole winner in each of the last 19 years (1987-2005).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Kyle Busch 265
Travis Kvapil 214
Stanton Barrett 59
Mike Garvey 33
Eric McClure 26

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIES BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Kvapil, 19th 
Auto Club 500 Busch, 23rd 
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Busch, second
Golden Corral 500 Busch, 12th 
Food City 500 Kvapil, seventh
Advance Auto Parts 500 Kvapil, 27th 
Samsung/RadioShack 500 Busch, 21st 
Subway Fresh 500 Busch, eighth
Aaron’s 499 Kvapil, 18th 
Dodge Charger 500 Busch, 23rd 
Chevy American Revolution 400 Busch, fourth
Coca-Cola 600 Busch, 25th 
MBNA RacePoints 400 Busch, second
Pocono 500 Busch, fourth 
Batman Begins 400 Busch, ninth
Dodge/Save Mart 350 Kvapil, 21st 
Pepsi 400 Kvapil, 23rd 
USG Sheetrock 400 Busch, 14th 
New England 300 Busch, fourth
Pennsylvania 500 Garvey, 34th 
Allstate 400 Busch, 10th 
Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen Busch, 33rd 
GFS Marketplace 400 Kvapil, 38th

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