Race 2 Win: GFS Marketplace 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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GFS Marketplace 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 August 14 Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Busch finished 33rd and claimed top rookie honors for the 15th time this season.

Busch stretched his lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings to 52 points over Travis Kvapil (264-212) entering the August 21 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Raybestos® Rookies in GFS Marketplace 400:

Kasey Kahne was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan. Kahne finished fifth and led the race twice for six laps. He was the only first-year driver to finish in the top 10.

Since 1975, the best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in the August race at Michigan is third by Tony Stewart in 1999.

Only one Raybestos® Rookie has won the pole position for the August race at Michigan (since 1975). Davey Allison won the pole for the 1987 race.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has led at least one lap in each of the past SIX August races at Michigan:
1999: Tony Stewart (led twice for 4 laps)
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (led once for 13 laps)
2001: Ron Hornaday (led once for three laps)
2002: Ryan Newman (led once for one lap)
2003: Greg Biffle (led once for 19 laps)
2004: Kahne (twice for six laps)
2004: Scott Riggs (twice for 12 laps)
2004: Scott Wimmer (once for three laps)
2004: Brendan Gaughan (once for two laps)

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in each of the past SIX August races at Michigan:
1999: Stewart, third
2000: Matt Kenseth, eighth
2001: Casey Atwood, 10th
2002: Jimmie Johnson, seventh
2003: Biffle, fourth
2004: Kahne, fifth

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top 10 in the same August race at Michigan is FOUR, which occurred in 1977:
Sam Sommers, fourth
Ricky Rudd, seventh
Terry Ryan, ninth
Janet Guthrie, 10th

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the August race at Michigan:
1977: Sommers, fourth
1982: Geoffrey Bodine, fourth
1987: Allison, fifth
1989: Hut Stricklin, fourth
1993: Jeff Gordon, third
1999: Stewart, third
2003: Biffle, fourth
2004: Kahne, fifth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the August race at Michigan:
1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1977: Sommers, fourth
1977: Rudd, seventh
1977: Ryan, ninth
1977: Guthrie, 10th
1979: Joe Millikan, sixth
1981: Mike Alexander, 10th
1982: Bodine, fourth
1987: Allison, fifth
1989: Stricklin, fourth
1993: Gordon, third
1993: Bobby Labonte, eighth
1995: Ricky Craven, seventh
1996: Johnny Benson, seventh
1999: Stewart, third
2000: Kenseth, eighth
2001: Atwood, 10th
2002: Johnson, seventh
2003: Biffle, fourth
2004: Kahne, fifth

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the August race at Michigan (since 1975):
1975: Hill (once for one lap)
1979: Millikan (twice for eight laps)
1982: Bodine, fourth
1986: Alan Kulwicki (once for two laps)
1987: Allison (twice for 21 laps)
1989: Stricklin (once for three laps)
1993: Gordon (three times for 17 laps)
1999: Stewart (twice for four laps)
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (once for 13 laps)
2001: Hornaday (once for three laps)
2002: Ryan Newman (once for one lap)
2003: Biffle (once for 19 laps)
2004: Kahne (twice for six laps)
2004: Riggs (twice for 12 laps)
2004: Wimmer (once for three laps)
2004: Gaughan (once for two laps)

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season – placing second at Las Vegas and Dover (Del.) and fourth at Richmond (Va.) and Pocono.

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 on May 29 and twice for 90 laps at Dover on June 5.

Busch is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position this year. He took the top starting spot for the Feb. 27 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. He is the youngest pole winner in NEXTEL Cup history.

Busch has led more miles (184.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in 2005 (seven times in four races for 155 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48 miles).

Busch is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap. He led twice for 90 circuits June 5 at Dover (race number 13).

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

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), 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 264
Travis Kvapil 212
Stanton Barrett 59
Mike Garvey 33
Eric McClure 25 

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

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