Race 2 Win: DirecTV 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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DirecTV 500 - Raybestos® Rookie Notes

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

Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the March 26 Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished 14th and took top Raybestos® Rookie honors for the second time this season. He was the only Raybestos® Rookie to finish on the lead lap at Bristol.

Clint Bowyer holds a six-point advantage over Hamlin and J.J. Yeley (52-46) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the April 2 DIRECTV 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

DID YOU KNOW? Hamlin is the only member of the 2006 Raybestos® Rookie class to start a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Martinsville. Hamlin started fifth and finished eighth in the 2005 Subway 500 (fall race) at the .526-mile Virginia speedway.

Morgan Shepherd is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the DirecTV 500 (since 1975). Shepherd won the 1981 event, outlasting the late Neil Bonnett to score his first NEXTEL Cup Series win. Shepherd led the most laps in the race (three times for 203) and remains the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the spring race at Martinsville. Two other Raybestos® Rookies scored top-10 finishes that same day: Ron Bouchard (ninth) and Mike Alexander (10th).

DID YOU KNOW? Shepherd is the only Raybestos® Rookie since 1981 to lead the most laps in the spring race at Martinsville.

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 in the spring race at Martinsville is FOUR. In 1979, Joe Millikan placed (fifth) followed by Harry Gant (sixth), Dale Earnhardt (seventh) and Terry Labonte (ninth).

DID YOU KNOW? At least one Raybestos® Rookie finished in the top-10 in four consecutive Advance Auto Parts 500 races from 1979 through 1982. Completing the streak were Jody Ridley (seventh) and Slick Johnson (ninth) in 1980 and Mark Martin (seventh) in 1982.

DID YOU KNOW? The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish in the spring race at Martinsville is Dick Trickle. Trickle finished third in 1989, the best finish by a first-year driver since Morgan Shepherd won the 1981 Advance Auto Parts 500. Trickle also led the race once for seven laps.

The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-10 finish in the Advance Auto Parts 500 is Jeff Gordon, who placed eighth in 1993.

The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the spring race at Martinsville is Kasey Kahne, who led once for one lap in 2004.

Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the pole for the Advance Auto Parts 500 (since 1975). Stewart claimed his first career pole position at Martinsville in 1999.

Top-five finishes by a Raybestos® Rookie in the Advance Auto Parts 500 (since 1975):
1979: Joe Millikan, fifth
1981: Morgan Shepherd, first
1986: Alan Kulwicki, fourth
1989: Dick Trickle, third

Top-10 finishes by a Raybestos® Rookie in the Advance Auto Parts 500 (since 1975):
1979: Joe Millikan, fifth
1979: Harry Gant, sixth
1979: Dale Earnhardt, seventh
1979: Terry Labonte, ninth
1980: Jody Ridley, seventh
1980: Slick Johnson, ninth
1981: Morgan Shepherd, first
1981: Ron Bouchard, ninth
1981: Mike Alexander, 10th
1982: Mark Martin, seventh
1986: Alan Kulwicki, fourth
1986: Derrike Cope, ninth
1989: Dick Trickle, third
1993: Jeff Gordon, eighth

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 52
J.J. Yeley 46
Denny Hamlin 46
Martin Truex, Jr. 41
Reed Sorenson 41
David Stremme 34
Brent Sherman 30 

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Clint Bowyer, sixth
Auto Club 500 J.J. Yeley, eighth
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Denny Hamlin, 10th 
Golden Corral 500 Reed Sorenson, 10th 
Food City 500 Denny Hamlin, 14th

News and Results | Point Standings | 2006 Schedule | 2006 Teams | 2005 Schedule and Results