Race 2 Win: MBNA RacePoints 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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MBNA RacePoints 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

Kyle Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the September 18 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Busch finished 27th and took top rookie honors for the 18th time this season.

Busch maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the September 25 MBNA 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, leading Travis Kvapil by 70 points (289-219).

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a race this season, capturing the September 4 Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. He became the youngest race winner (20 yrs., 4 mos. and 2 days) in NEXTEL Cup history. Busch edged Greg Biffle to the finish line by .554-seconds to win in his 31st career start.

Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the June 4 MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover (race No. 13). He finished second, 4.281 seconds behind race winner Biffle, after leading twice for 90 laps.

DID YOU KNOW? Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. He has racked up seven top fives in 27 starts this season entering the Dover race.

Busch is the youngest pole winner in NASCAR’s premier series (19 yrs., 9 mos. and 24 days) when he grabbed the pole for the February 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. He is also the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole and is the only first-year driver to win a pole in 2005.

DID YOU KNOW? Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have led a lap in just two races this season: Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in a race this season. He led the Sony HD 500 five times for 95 laps, the most he has led in a single race in his NEXTEL Cup career.

Season Tidbits:

Busch has led more miles (438) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in 2005 (16 times in seven races for 288 laps). Kvapil has led five times in three races for 33 laps (48.75 miles).

Raybestos® Rookies at Dover International Speedway:

Brendan Gaughan was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 MBNA America 400, claiming a 22nd-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? Jimmie Johnson is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win both NEXTEL Cup races at Dover. Johnson swept both events in 2002 and led the most laps in each race. Johnson is the only first-year driver to lead the most laps in the fall race at Dover (four times for 170 laps) and is the most recent freshman driver to lead a lap at the one-mile Delaware speedway.

DID YOU KNOW? The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos® Rookie for the fall race at Dover is third by Tony Stewart (1999) and Brian Vickers (2004).

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the fall race at Dover (since 1975):
1979: Dale Earnhardt (twice for 46 laps)
1982: Geoffrey Bodine (twice for 4 laps)
1984: Rusty Wallace (once for two laps)
1988: Ken Bouchard (three times for four laps)
1989: Dick Trickle (once for 15 laps)
1993: Jeff Gordon (three times for 80 laps)
1994: John Andretti (once for one lap)
1994: Jeff Burton (once for eight laps)
1994: Steve Grissom (once for one lap)
1995: Robert Pressley (once for 11 laps)
1999: Stewart (six times for 97 laps)
2000: Dave Blaney (once for four laps in 2000)
2002: Johnson (four times for 170 laps)

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to lead the fall race at Dover is FOUR in 1994: Grissom, Jeff Burton, Joe Nemechek and Andretti.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in MBNA America 400 at Dover (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, fifth
1979: Joe Millikan, fifth
1981: Ron Bouchard, fourth
1982: Bodine, fourth
1999: Stewart, second
2002: Johnson, first

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in MBNA America 400 at Dover (since 1975):
1975: Hill, fifth
1977: Sam Sommers, 10th
1979: Millikan, fifth
1979: Earnhardt, ninth
1980: Jody Ridley, ninth
1981: Ron Bouchard, fourth
1981: Tim Richmond, ninth
1982: Bodine, fourth
1986: Alan Kulwicki, seventh
1989: Jimmy Spencer, 10th
1991: Bobby Hamilton, eighth
1993: Bobby Labonte, seventh
1994: Grissom, eighth
1999: Stewart, second
2001: Kevin Harvick, sixth
2001: Casey Atwood, ninth
2002: Johnson, first
2002: Ryan Newman, eighth
2003: Jamie McMurray, sixth
2003: Biffle, seventh

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), Jeff 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 289
Travis Kvapil 219 

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 
Sony HD 500 Busch, first
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Busch, fourth
Sylvania 300 Busch, 27th

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