Race 2 Win: UAW-GM Quality 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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UAW-GM Quality 500 - 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 October 9 Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway, collecting a 21st-place finish. Busch took top rookie honors for the 20th time this season.

For the second consecutive race, Travis Kvapil was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap. He led the Banquet 400 once for one lap.

Busch maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the Oct. 15 UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, leading Kvapil by 78 points (301-223).

DID YOU KNOW? FORTY PERCENT OF CHASE DRIVERS ARE FORMER RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS: FOUR of the 10 drivers who qualified for the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup are former Raybestos® Rookie of the Year winners: Tony Stewart (1999), Ryan Newman (2002), Rusty Wallace (1984) and Matt Kenseth (2000). THREE of those four won at least one race in their Raybestos® Rookie season: Stewart, Newman and Kenseth.

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 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 at the finish line by .554 seconds to win in his 31st career start.

Busch is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. He has racked up eight top fives in 30 starts entering the UAW-GM Quality 500.

Busch became the youngest pole winner in NASCAR’s premier series (19 yrs., 9 mos. And 24 days) when he grabbed the No. 1 qualifying spot 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.

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 seven times in five races for 35 laps (52.91 miles).

Raybestos® Rookies at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:

Brendan Gaughan was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, claiming a 23rd-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? Kasey Kahne holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie in the UAW-GM 500 at Charlotte (since 1975). Kahne led the 2004 race four times for 207 of the 334 laps.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in four of the past five fall races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:
2000: Matt Kenseth, ninth
2001: Kevin Harvick, eighth
2002: Jimmie Johnson, sixth
2002: Newman, seventh
2003: Jamie McMurray, seventh

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, only TWO Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions for the fall race at Charlotte: Jeff Gordon (1993) and Ward Burton (1994).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, only TWO Raybestos® Rookies have scored a top-five finish in the fall race at Charlotte: Ron Bouchard (fifth in 1981) and Gordon (fifth in 1993).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, the most Raybestos® Rookies to finish inside the top 10 in the UAW-GM 500 at Charlotte is THREE in 1980: Lake Speed (seventh), Jody Ridley (eighth) and Kyle Petty (ninth).

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to lead a lap in the fall race at Charlotte is TWO. In 1994, John Andretti led twice for 30 laps and Burton led once for one lap. In 1979 Dale Earnhardt led three times for 55 laps while Harry Gant held the top spot once covering seven laps.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the fall race at Charlotte (since 1975):
1979: Earnhardt (three times for 55 laps)
1979: Gant (once for seven laps)
1982: Geoffrey Bodine (once for 5 laps)
1983: Trevor Boys (once for two laps)
1986: Alan Kulwicki (twice for six laps)
1993: Gordon (once for one lap)
1994: Burton (once for 29 laps)
1994: Andretti (twice for 30 laps)
2000: Kenseth ((once for one lap)
2002: Johnson (three times for 66 laps)
2003: McMurray (once for one lap)
2004: Kahne (four times for 207 laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the UAW-GM 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (since 1975):
1981: Bouchard, fifth
1993: Gordon, fifth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the UAW-GM 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (since 1975):
1977: Janet Guthrie, seventh
1979: Gant, seventh
1979: Earnhardt, 10th
1980: Speed, seventh
1980: Ridley, eighth
1980: Petty, ninth
1981: Bouchard, fifth
1981: Morgan Shepherd, eighth
1993: Gordon, fifth
1998: Kevin Lepage, sixth
2000: Kenseth, ninth
2001: Harvick, eighth
2002: Johnson, sixth
2002: Newman, seventh
2003: McMurray, 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), Wallace (1984), Kulwicki (1986), 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 301
Travis Kvapil 223 

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 Mike 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 
MBNA RacePoints 400 Busch, second
UAW-Ford 500 Kvapil, 16th 
Banquet 400 Busch, 21st

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