Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Dodge Avenger 500 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

Paul Menard was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the May 6 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Menard placed 16th and took top rookie honors for the second time this season.

Five Raybestos® Rookies competed in the Crown Royal 400, the most first-year drivers to start a NEXTEL Cup Series race this season.

Juan Pablo Montoya leads David Ragan by three points (109-106) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 12 Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The Dodge Avenger 500 will be race No. 4 in the Raybestos® Rookie Magnificent Seven program. The Raybestos® Rookie of the Race normally pays $1,500 but that increases to $5,000 at seven designated races throughout the 2007 season. Ragan captured the extra cash at Daytona and Martinsville while Montoya claimed the award at Las Vegas. Other races where the bonus is available: Infineon (June 24), Chicagoland (July 15), and Bristol (August 25).

Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Dodge Avenger 500, grabbing a 10th-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 2001, TWO Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions at Darlington Raceway: Kurt Busch (2001) and Kasey Kahne (2004).

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in seven of the past eight seasons at Darlington:
1999: Tony Stewart, sixth
2000: Matt Kenseth, sixth
2001: Kevin Harvick, eighth
2002: Ryan Newman, fifth (spring race)
2002: Jimmie Johnson, sixth (spring race)
2002: Ryan Newman, second (fall race)
2002: Jimmie Johnson, ninth (fall race)
2003: Jamie McMurray, fourth (fall race)
2003: Greg Biffle, 10th (fall race)
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth (fall race)
2006: Denny Hamlin, 10th

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Darlington (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, fifth (fall race)
1979: Terry Labonte, third (fall race)
1984: Rusty Wallace, fourth (fall race)
2002: Ryan Newman, second (fall race)
2003: Jamie McMurray, fourth (fall race)
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth (fall race)

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Darlington (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, fifth (fall race)
1975: Bruce Jacobi, ninth (spring race)
1977: Ricky Rudd, seventh (fall race)
1978: Ronnie Thomas, ninth (fall race)
1979: Terry Labonte, third (fall race)
1980: Lake Speed, eighth (spring race)
1980: Jody Ridley, 10th (spring race)
1982: Geoffrey Bodine, seventh (fall race)
1982: Mark Martin, seventh (spring race)
1984: Rusty Wallace, fourth (fall race)
1984: Phil Parsons, seventh (fall race)
1984: Phil Parsons, eighth (spring race)
1981: Tim Richmond, eighth (fall race)
1991: Bobby Hamilton, 10th (fall race)
1993: Kenny Wallace, 10th (fall race)
1994: Jeff Burton, eighth (fall race)
1999: Tony Stewart, sixth
2000: Matt Kenseth, sixth
2001: Kevin Harvick, eighth (fall race)
2002: Ryan Newman, second (fall race)
2002: Jimmie Johnson, ninth (fall race)
2002: Ryan Newman, second (fall race)
2002: Jimmie Johnson, ninth (fall race)
2003: Jamie McMurray, fourth (fall race)
2003: Greg Biffle, 10th (fall race)
2004: Kasey Kahne, fifth (fall race)
2006: Denny Hamlin, 10th

DID YOU KNOW? The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Darlington: Kasey Kahne, who led three times for 24 laps in the 2004 spring race.

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 109
David Ragan 106
Paul Menard 73 
David Reutimann 63
AJ Allmendinger 31 
Brandon Whitt 2

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