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

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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 Raybestos® Rookie of the race in the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.). Busch finished 25th and took top rookie honors for the third consecutive race and for the eighth time in 12 races this season.

Busch stretched his lead to 22 points (157-135) over Travis Kvapil in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the June 5 MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

DID YOU KNOW? The Coca-Cola 600 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.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. He placed second to race winner Jimmie Johnson in the March 13 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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 (94.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie this season (five times in three races for 65 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48.00 miles).

Busch became the first Raybestos® Rookie to top $1 million in earnings this season. He earned $1,052,653 in just the first eight races of the year.

Raybestos® Rookies at Dover:

Scott Riggs was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover. Riggs finished fifth, his only top five of the 2004 season, and was the final driver to complete all 400 laps of the race.

Only two Raybestos® Rookies have won the spring race at Dover: Jimmie Johnson and Davey Allison, who both scored their second career wins at Dover. Johnson won the 2002 race while Allison captured the 1987 event.

Only three Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in the spring race at Dover: Johnson (four times for 187 laps), Allison (six times for 212 laps), and Tony Stewart in 1999 (three times for 127 laps).

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top 10 in the MBNA 400 at Dover is THREE in 1979: Dale Earnhardt (fifth), Terry Labonte (sixth) and Joe Millikan (eighth).

On three other occasions, at least two Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top 10 in Dover’s spring race: Matt Kenseth (second) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10th) in 2000, Johnson and Ryan Newman (fifth) in 2002, and Riggs and Wimmer in 2004.

The best start by a Raybestos® Rookie in the spring race at Dover is second by Morgan Shepherd in 1981.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the spring race at Dover (since 1975):
1979: Dale Earnhardt, fifth
1982: Mark Martin, fifth
1987: Allison, first
1999: Stewart, fourth
2000: Kenseth, second
2002: Johnson, first
2002: Ryan Newman, fifth
2004: Riggs, fifth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the spring race at Dover (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1979: Earnhardt, fifth
1979: Labonte, sixth
1979: Millikan, eighth
1980: Jody Ridley, sixth
1981: Shepherd, sixth
1983: Sterling Marlin, 10th
1985: Ken Schrader, 10th
1987: Allison, first
1992: Jimmy Hensley, eighth
1997: Mike Skinner, ninth
1999: Stewart, fourth
2000: Kenseth, second
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., 10th
2002: Johnson, first
2002: Newman, fifth
2004: Riggs, fifth
2004: Scott Wimmer, 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), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Stewart (1999) and 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 157
Travis Kvapil 135
Stanton Barrett 42
Eric McClure 18

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

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