Race 2 Win: Subway Fresh 500 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Subway Fresh 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 April 17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch finished 21st and took top rookie honors for the fourth time in seven races this season.

He stretched his lead to six points over Travis Kvapil (83-77) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.

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 and Kvapil have one top-10 finish each entering the Phoenix race.

Busch is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position this season. He took the top starting spot for the Auto Club 500 in February 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 twice in one race for two laps (four miles).

DID YOU KNOW? This would be the first NEXTEL Cup start at Phoenix for all three Raybestos® Rookies entered in the Subway Fresh 500 – Busch, Kvapil, and Stanton Barrett.

Busch won the pole position and finished second in the 2004 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Busch Series race at PIR. He led the race four times for 151 laps, the most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie in six Busch Series races at Phoenix.

Kvapil scored one top-five and three top-10 finishes in four Craftsman Truck Series races at Phoenix (best finish was fourth in 2002).

Barrett started 27th and finished 41st in the 2003 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix.

Raybestos® Rookies at Phoenix

Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win at Phoenix in 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races. Stewart won from the pole in 1999, beating Mark Martin to the checkered flag by 2.081 seconds.

Stewart and Kasey Kahne are the only Raybestos Rookies to score top-five finishes at Phoenix. Kahne logged a fifth-place finish in 2004.

Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps at Phoenix. He led the 1999 race three times for 150 laps.

THREE Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions at Phoenix: Stewart, Casey Atwood (2001) and Ryan Newman (2002). Atwood and Newman are the only Raybestos® Rookies to win poles in back-to-back races.

TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished inside the top 10 just once at Phoenix. In 1989, Dick Trickle placed seventh while Jimmy Spencer claimed a 10th-place finish. Both Trickle and Spencer finished on the lead lap.

TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies have led the same race at Phoenix just twice. In 1991, Stanley Smith led once for 12 laps while Bobby Hamilton led the race once for one lap. In 2002, Newman led three times for 14 laps while Jimmie Johnson led once for one lap.

The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Phoenix is Newman in 2002.

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Checker Auto Parts 500 Phoenix’s longstanding fall event:
1989: Dick Trickle, seventh
1989: Jimmy Spencer, 10th
1993: Bobby Labonte, eighth
1999: Tony Stewart, first
2000: Dave Blaney, eighth
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Checker Auto Parts 500:
1999: Tony Stewart, first
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth

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       83
Travis Kvapil    77
Stanton Barrett  13
Eric McClure     11 

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

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