Race 2 Win: Pepsi 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Pepsi 400 - 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 June 26 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Kvapil finished 21st, completing all 110 laps of the race. He took top rookie honors for the fifth time this season.

Kyle Busch maintains a 42-point lead over Kvapil (218-176) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the July 2 Pepsi 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Mike Garvey is the latest driver to join the 2005 Raybestos® Rookie class. Garvey finished 36th in the June 19 Batman Begins 400 at Michigan International Speedway, his first race that counted in the rookie standings. Garvey drives the No. 66 Peak Fitness Fords owned by Angela Sadler.

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 May 29 and twice for 90 laps at Dover, Del.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. His other top-five finishes: second at Las Vegas and Dover, and fourth at Richmond (Va.) and Pocono (Pa.).

Busch is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position this season. He took the top starting spot for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.

Busch has led more miles (184.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie this season (seven times in four races for 155 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48.00 miles).

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

Raybestos® Rookies at Daytona:

Brian Vickers was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Pepsi 400, scoring a ninth-place finish. He was the only first-year driver to finish in the top 20.

Kasey Kahne was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in last year’s Pepsi 400, holding the top spot once for one lap.

Greg Biffle is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the Pepsi 400. He won the 2003 event, scoring his first career win in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Biffle crossed the finish line 4.102 second ahead of second-place finisher Jeff Burton and led only once, covering the final 21 laps. He was the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a win in the 2003 season.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, only three Raybestos® Rookies have scored a top-five finish in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona:
1979: Dale Earnhardt, third
1993: Jeff Gordon, fifth
2003: Biffle, first

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, THREE Raybestos® Rookies have won the pole position for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona: Geoffrey Bodine (1982), Davey Allison (1987), and Mike Skinner (1997).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, Allison is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the Pepsi 400. He led the 1987 race twice for 32 laps.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led at least one lap in the Pepsi 400 (since 1975):
1979: Earnhardt (once for one lap)
1981: Mike Alexander (once for four laps)
1981: Stan Barrett (once for three laps)
1982: Bodine (once for four laps)
1987: Allison (twice for 32 laps)
1987: Brett Bodine (once for one lap)
1990: Rob Moroso (once for four laps)
1993: Gordon (once for three laps)
1994: Loy Allen (once for one lap)
1997: Skinner (once for two laps)
1998: Kenny Irwin (once for 15 laps)
1999: Elliott Sadler (once for one lap)
2001: Kevin Harvick (twice for two laps)
2003: Biffle (once for 21 laps)
2004: Kasey Kahne (once for one lap)

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona (since 1975):
1975: Ritchie Panch, sixth
1977: Sam Sommers, seventh
1977: Terry Ryan, 10th
1979: Earnhardt, third
1979 Harry Gant, seventh
1979 Joe Millikan, eighth
1979: Earnhardt, sixth
1980: Jody Ridley, seventh
1980: John Anderson, ninth
1981: Alexander, seventh
1981: Ron Bouchard, ninth
1982: Geoffrey Bodine, sixth
1986: Alan Kulwicki, 10th
1989: Dick Trickle, eighth
1989: Hut Stricklin, 10th
1990: Rob Moroso, ninth
1993: Gordon, fifth
1999: Tony Stewart, sixth
2002: Jimmie Johnson, eighth
2004: Vickers, ninth

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), 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 218
Travis Kvapil 176
Stanton Barrett 51
Eric McClure 19
Mike Garvey 1

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

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