Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Pep Boys Auto 500 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the October 21 Subway 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Montoya finished eighth, his sixth top-10 finish in 33 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 14th time this season. Montoya became the third consecutive Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-10 finish in the fall race at Martinsville. He also led the race (once for nine laps), the first time he had led since Infineon Raceway (race No. 16).

Montoya leads David Ragan by 19 points (231-212) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the October 28 Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

Montoya is 21st in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, 112 points ahead of 22nd-place Ragan.

Montoya was the top Raybestos® Rookie in the March 18 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta, claiming a fifth-place finish.

Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Bass Pro Shops 500, scoring an eighth-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? The best finish in the fall race at Atlanta (since 1975) is second by Dale Earnhardt in 1979. Earnhardt finished one-half car length behind winner Neil Bonnett.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, Kenny Irwin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole at the fall race in Atlanta. Irwin grabbed the top spot for the 1998 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, FIVE Raybestos® Rookies have posted a top-five finish in the fall race at Atlanta:
1979: Dale Earnhardt, second
1987: Davey Allison, fifth
1994: Mike Wallace, fifth
1997: Jeff Green, fourth
2001: Kevin Harvick, third
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth

Dale Earnhardt also holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie in the fall race at Atlanta, holding the top spot six times for 69 laps in 1979.

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (since 1975):
1976: Sam Sommers, ninth
1977: Ricky Rudd, eighth
1979: Dale Earnhardt, second
1979: Terry Labonte, seventh
1979: Joe Millikan, ninth
1980: Jody Ridley, sixth
1982: Mark Martin, 10th
1987: Davey Allison, fifth
1992: Jimmy Hensely, eighth
1994: Mike Wallace, fifth
1997: Jeff Green, fourth
2000: Matt Kenseth, ninth
2001: Kevin Harvick, third
2002: Ryan Newman, 10th
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth
2004: Brian Vickers, seventh
2006: Denny Hamlin, eighth

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).

Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup since the program was created in 2004.

Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).

The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).

A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:
1987: Davey Allison, two
1999: Tony Stewart, three
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., two
2001: Kevin Harvick, two
2002: Jimmie Johnson, three
2005: Kyle Busch, two
2006: Denny Hamlin, two

More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories in their rookie season only three times: Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard (one each in 1981), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (2000), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (2002).

The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup 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 Matt Kenseth (2000).

At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 years (1996-2006).

The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Juan Pablo Montoya 231
David Ragan 212
Paul Menard 185
David Reutimann 169
AJ Allmendinger 142

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Ragan, fifth
Auto Club 500 Ragan, 16th 
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Montoya, 22nd 
Kobalt Tools 500 Montoya, fifth
Food City 500 Ragan, 26th 
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Ragan, 15th 
Samsung 500 Montoya, eighth 
Subway Fresh Fit 500 Menard, 25th 
Aaron’s 499 Ragan, 17th 
Crown Royal 400 Menard, 16th 
Dodge Avenger 500 Montoya, 23rd 
Coca-Cola 600 Montoya, 28th 
Autism Speaks 400 Ragan, 14th 
Pocono 500 Montoya, 20th 
Citizens Bank 400 Menard, 12th 
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Montoya, FIRST!
LENOX Industrial Tools 300 Ragan, 15th 
Pepsi 400 Ragan, 12th 
USG SHEETROCK 400 Montoya, 15th 
Allstate 400 at The Brickyard Montoya, second
Pennsylvania 500 Montoya, 16th 
Centurion Boats at The Glen Menard, 19th 
3M Performance 400 Ragan, 18th 
Sharpie 500 Montoya, 17th 
Sharp AQUOS 500 Ragan, 12th 
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Ragan, third
Sylvania 300 Ragan, 19th 
Dodge Dealers 400 Montoya, 10th 
LifeLock 400 Ragan, 16th 
UAW-Ford 500 Montoya, 15th 
Bank of America 500 Allmendinger, 15th 
Subway 500 Montoya, eighth