Race 2 Win: Coca-Cola 600 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Coca-Cola 600 - 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 14 Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Busch finished fourth, his second top-five and third top-10 finish in 17 career starts. Busch took top rookie honors for the seventh time in 11 races this season.

Busch stretched his lead to 21 points (146-125) over Travis Kvapil in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 29 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. He also 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.

Kvapil has led more miles (13.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie this season. He has led twice in one race for nine laps. Busch has led three times in two races for 10 laps (12.00 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 the Coca-Cola 600:

Kasey Kahne was the Raybestos® Rookie of the race in the 2004 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kahne finished 12th in the race, leading the event once for five laps. He was the only first-year driver to lead at least one lap in the race.

DID YOU KNOW? Matt Kenseth is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the Coca-Cola 600. Kenseth captured the 2000 600-mile race by .573 of a second over Bobby Labonte.

DID YOU KNOW? Jimmie Johnson (2002) holds the record for most laps led in the Coca-Cola 600 (five times for 250 laps).

DID YOU KNOW? Johnson is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, taking the top starting spot for the 2002 race.

DID YOU KNOW? TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top-five only once in 45 previous 600-mile races at Charlotte. In 2000, Kenseth won the race while Dale Earnhardt Jr. placed fourth.

Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top-10 in the Coca-Cola 600 just three times since 1975:
1981: Morgan Shepherd (sixth) and Elliott Forbes-Robinson (tenth).
1993: Jeff Gordon (second) and Bobby Labonte (eighth).
2000: Matt Kenseth (first) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (fourth).

Only TWO Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in the Coca-Cola 600: Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 175 laps in 2000 while Jimmie Johnson led 263 laps in 2002.

Only once since 1975 have THREE Raybestos® Rookies led a lap in the Coca-Cola 600. In 1993, Jeff Gordon (once for three laps), Bobby Labonte (twice for four laps) and Rich Bickle (once for one lap) each led the 600.

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has led at least one lap in each of the last SIX 600-mile races at Charlotte:
1999: Tony Stewart (three times for 13 laps)
2000: Matt Kenseth (twice for 31 laps)
2000: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (five times for 124 laps)
2001: Kevin Harvick (once for one lap)
2002: Jimmie Johnson (five times for 250 laps)
2003: Greg Biffle (once for one lap)
2004: Kasey Kahne (once for five laps)

Raybestos® Rookies who have scored top-10 finishes in the Coca-Cola 600 (since 1975):
1977: Sam Sommers, ninth
1980: Kyle Petty, seventh
1981: Morgan Shepherd, sixth; Elliott Forbes-Robinson, 10th
1993: Jeff Gordon, second and Bobby Labonte, eighth
1995: Ricky Craven, tenth
1999: Tony Stewart, fourth
2000: Matt Kenseth, first; Dale Earnhardt Jr., fourth
2001: Kevin Harvick, second
2002: Jimmie Johnson, seventh

Raybestos® Rookies who have scored top-five finishes in the Coca-Cola 600 (since 1975):
1993: Jeff Gordon, second
1999: Tony Stewart, fourth
2000: Matt Kenseth, first; Dale Earnhardt Jr., fourth
2001: Kevin Harvick, second

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 146
Travis Kvapil 125
Stanton Barrett 42
Eric McClure 18

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIES BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Travis Kvapil, 19th 
Auto Club 500 Kyle Busch, 23rd 
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Kyle Busch, second
Golden Corral 500 Kyle Busch, 12th 
Food City 500 Travis Kvapil, seventh
Advance Auto Parts 500 Travis Kvapil, 27th 
Samsung/RadioShack 500 Kyle Busch, 21st 
Subway Fresh 500 Kyle Busch, eighth
Aaron’s 499 Travis Kvapil, 18th 
Dodge Charger 500 Kyle Busch, 23rd 
Chevy American Revolution 400 Kyle Busch, fourth

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