Race 2 Win: Sony HD 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2005 Teams | 2004 Schedule and Results

Sony HD 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 27 Sharpie 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Kvapil finished 19th and took top rookie honors for the eighth time this season.

Kyle Busch maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the September 4 Sony HD 500 at California Speedway, leading Kvapil by 50 points (266-216).

Raybestos® Rookies at California Speedway:

Kasey Kahne was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway. Kahne finished second in the first-ever September race at the 2.0-mile speedway, .263-seconds behind race winner Elliott Sadler.

Brian Vickers won the pole for the 2004 race, posting a lap of 187.417 mph.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has won THREE CONSECUTIVE pole positions at California Speedway:
---2005 Auto Club 500: Kyle Busch
---2004 Pop Secret 500: Brian Vickers
---2004 Auto Club 500: Kasey Kahne

Four Raybestos® Rookies finished on the lead lap in the 2004 race: Kahne, Scott Riggs (seventh), Vickers (13th) and Scott Wimmer (21st).

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Sony HD 500:
2004: Kahne, second

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Sony HD 500:
2004: Kahne, second
2004: Riggs, seventh

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the Sony HD 500:
2004: Brian Vickers (four times for 44 laps)
2004: Kahne (four times for 39 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 (Pa.).

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 (240.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in 2005 (eight times in five races for 183 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48 miles).

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: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony 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 266
Travis Kvapil 216
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
Sharpie 500 Kvapil, 19th

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2005 Teams | 2004 Schedule and Results