Race 2 Win: Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES

Raybestos® Rookie Kyle Busch won the September 4 Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. Busch edged Greg Biffle to the finish line by .554-seconds to become the youngest race winner (20 yrs., 4 mos. and 2 days) in NEXTEL Cup history. The victory came in his 31st career start. He is also the youngest pole winner in NASCAR’s premiere series (19 yrs., 9 mos. and 24 days).

Busch became the third first-time race winner in 2005, joining Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne. His is the 12th different race winner in 2005 and has scored nine top-10 finishes in 25 races.

Busch became the first Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in a race this season. He led five times for 95 laps, the most he has led in a single race in his NEXTEL Cup career. He became the 11th different driver to lead the most laps in a race this season.

Busch maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the September 10 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, leading Kvapil by 61 points (278-217).

The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position for a NEXTEL Cup Series race: Kyle Busch, who won the pole for the 2005 Auto Club California Speedway (race number 2). Busch logged a lap of 188.245 mph to win the top starting spot. He is the only first-year driver to win a pole in 2005.

Season Tidbits:

Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish this season. In addition to his win at California, he placed second at Las Vegas and Dover (Del.) and finished fourth at Richmond (Va.) and Pocono (Pa.).

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 has led more miles (430.50) than any other Raybestos® Rookie in 2005 (13 times in six races for 278 laps). Kvapil has led four times in two races for 32 laps (48 miles).

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® Rookies at Richmond International Raceway:

Kasey Kahne was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway, scoring a 24th-place finish.

Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond this past May (race number 11). He finished fifth, the only top-five finish Busch, or any first-year driver, has scored on a short track this season.

DID YOU KNOW? Greg Biffle is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the September race at Richmond. Biffle led the 2003 race once for two laps.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, THREE Raybestos® Rookies have won the pole for the September race at Richmond: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Bobby Labonte (1993), and Jimmie Johnson (2002). Johnson nabbed the top starting spot for the 2002 event over fellow Raybestos® Rookie Ryan Newman.

DID YOU KNOW? The first time in NEXTEL Cup’s modern-era that two Raybestos® Rookies claimed front row starting positions occurred at the 2002 Chevy Rock and Roll 400. An all-rookie front row has occurred just one other time, at the 2004 Pocono 500 (Kasey Kahne first and Brian Vickers second).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, two or more Raybestos® Rookies have not finished in the top five in the September race at Richmond.

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 is THREE in 1979: Earnhardt (fourth), Harry Gant (ninth) and Joe Millikan (10th).

Since 1975, only TWO Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in a fall race at Richmond: Tony Stewart (1999) and Ryan Newman (2002). Stewart led five times for 333 of the 400 laps, the most led by a first-year driver since 1975. Newman led twice for 145 laps.

The only Raybestos® Rookie to win the September race at Richmond is Tony Stewart, who captured the 1999 Chevy Rock and Roll 400. Stewart scored his first NEXTEL Cup Series win by 1.115 seconds over Bobby Labonte.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1979: Earnhardt (twice for 19 laps)
1993: Bobby Labonte (twice for 12 laps)
1996: Johnny Benson (once for 13 laps)
1998: Kenny Irwin (once for one lap)
1999: Stewart (five times for 333 laps)
2001: Kevin Harvick (once for 12 laps)
2002: Newman (twice for 145 laps)
2003: Biffle (once for two laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1977: Sam Sommers, fifth
1979: Earnhardt, fourth
1980: Jody Ridley, fifth
1999: Stewart, first
2001: Harvick, second
2002: Newman, second

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1976: Terry Bivins, ninth
1977: Sommers, fifth
1979: Earnhardt, fourth
1979: Gant, ninth
1979: Millikan, 10th
1980: Ridley, fifth
1983: Trevor Boys, ninth
1989: Dick Trickle, eighth
1989: Hut Stricklin, ninth
1993: Jeff Gordon, 10th
1994: Steve Grissom, seventh
1996: Johnny Benson, 10th
1998: Irwin, 10th
1999: Stewart, first
2001: Harvick, second
2002: Newman, 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 278
Travis Kvapil 217
Stanton Barrett 59
Mike Garvey 33
Eric McClure 26

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 
GFS Marketplace 400 Kvapil, 38th
Sharpie 500 Kvapil, 19th 
Sony HD 500 Busch, first

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