Raybestos Rookie News and Notes: UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES
J.J. Yeley was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the February 26 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. Yeley scored an eighth-place finish, his best effort in eight career NEXTEL Cup starts. He took top Raybestos® Rookie honors for the first time in 2006.
Clint Bowyer holds a two-point advantage over Yeley (21-19) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the March 12 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
Bowyer is the only Raybestos® Rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series points. He is eighth in the standings entering the Las Vegas event, two points behind seventh-place Ryan Newman and 84 behind leader Jimmie Johnson.
DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top 10 in both NEXTEL Cup Series races entering the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.
Kyle Busch was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2005 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished second, 1.661 seconds behind race winner Johnson.
Busch equaled the best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Las Vegas. Kasey Kahne finished second in 2004, 3.426 seconds behind winner Matt Kenseth.
DID YOU KNOW? The first Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish at Las Vegas was Newman in 2002.
Busch, Kahne and Newman are the only Raybestos® Rookies to score a top-five finish at Las Vegas. Newman placed fourth in 2002.
DID YOU KNOW? In 2000, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the first Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-10 finish at Las Vegas. He was also the first Raybestos Rookie driver to lead a lap (four times for 42 laps).
Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Las Vegas:
2002: Newman, fourth
2004: Kahne, second
2005: Busch, second
Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Las Vegas:
2000: Earnhardt Jr. (10th)
2001: Kevin Harvick (eighth)
2001: Ron Hornaday (ninth)
2002: Newman (fourth)
2002: Johnson (sixth)
DID YOU KNOW? At least one Raybestos® Rookie finished in the top 10 in four of the last five races at Las Vegas.
DID YOU KNOW? Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top 10 twice in eight previous races at Las Vegas (2001 and 2002).
DID YOU KNOW? The first time two or more Raybestos® Rookies led at least one lap was in 2002, when Newman led three times for 49 laps and Johnson led once for six laps.
DID YOU KNOW? The most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie at Las Vegas is 49 by Newman in 2002.
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, 2005) 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
Clint Bowyer 21
J.J. Yeley 19
Martin Truex Jr. 18
Denny Hamlin 16
Brent Sherman 14
David Stremme 14
Reed Sorenson 14
HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Clint Bowyer, sixth
Auto Club 500 J.J. Yeley, eighth
