Race 2 Win: Pocono 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Pocono 500 - 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 June 5 MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Busch grabbed his second second-place finish of the 2005 season, his third top five and fourth top 10. He took top rookie honors for the fourth consecutive race and for the ninth time in 13 races.

Busch was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Dover. He led the race twice for 90 laps, the most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie in a race this season.

Busch stretched his lead to 32 points (177-145) over Travis Kvapil in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the June 12 Pocono 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

DID YOU KNOW? Busch became the first Raybestos® Rookie to lead in back-to-back races this season. He led the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway twice for 55 laps

Busch remains the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top five finish this season. His other top five finishes: second at Las Vegas and fourth at Richmond.

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 (184.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie this season (seven times in four races for 155 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48.00 miles).

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.

Raybestos® Rookies at Pocono:

Brian Vickers was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Pocono 500, grabbing a 13th-place finish.

For just the second time in NEXTEL Cup racing’s modern era, two Raybestos® Rookies comprised the front row for the 2004 Pocono 500. Kasey Kahne won the pole while Vickers grabbed the second starting position. Kahne is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole in 54 races at Pocono Raceway.

Since 1975, only one Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top five in the June race at Pocono: Jimmie Johnson, who placed third in 2002. Johnson also owns the best start by a freshman driver in the June event at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania track. He claimed the second starting position for the 2002 race.

Only once since 1975 have two or more Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top 10 in the June race at Pocono: Tim Richmond finished ninth and Ron Bouchard placed 10th in the 1981 Mountain Dew 500.

Only five Raybestos® Rookies have led a lap in the June race at Pocono since 1989:
1989: Larry Pearson, once for two laps
1992: Jimmy Hensley, twice for five laps
1999: Tony Stewart, once for one lap
2005: Kahne, three times for four laps
2005 Vickers, once for one lap

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the June race at Pocono (since 1975): 1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1977: Ricky Rudd, seventh
1979: Joe Millikan, sixth
1980: Kyle Petty, seventh
1981: Richmond, sixth
1981: Bouchard, 10th
1982: Geoffrey Bodine, eighth
1989: Pearson, ninth
1987: Davey Allison, first
1992: Hensley, ninth
1999: Stewart, sixth
2002: Johnson, third

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 177
Travis Kvapil 145
Stanton Barrett 51
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 
MBNA RacePoints 400 Busch, second

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