Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Allstate 400 at the Brickyard - 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 July 15 USG SHEETROCK 400 at Chicagoland (Joliet, Ill.) Speedway. Montoya finished 15th and took top rookie honors for the eighth time this season.

Montoya leads David Ragan by 14 points (196-182) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the July 29 Allstate 400 at The Brickyard at Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway.

Montoya is 20th in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

For the 14th consecutive NEXTEL Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Raybestos® Brand Brakes will present the Top Wrench Award to the crew chief of the top qualifying Raybestos Rookie driver. The crew chief will earn a check for $5,000.

A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one race in each of the past three consecutive seasons.

Clint Bowyer was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, scoring a fourth-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-10 in each of the past EIGHT consecutive NEXTEL Cup Series races at Indianapolis.

DID YOU KNOW? TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top-10 twice in 13 previous races:
2002: Ryan Newman, fourth
2002: Jimmie Johnson, ninth
2006: Clint Bowyer, fourth
2006: Denny Hamlin, 10th

DID YOU KNOW? Jamie McMurray’s third-place finish in 2003 is the best ever by a Raybestos® Rookie in 13 previous Brickyard 400 races.

The best starting position by a Raybestos® Rookie at Indianapolis is second by Clint Bowyer in 2006.

DID YOU KNOW? Only TWICE in 13 previous races at Indianapolis have TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies qualified inside the top-10:
1997: Mike Skinner, sixth
1997: David Green, ninth
2006: Clint Bowyer, second
2006: J.J. Yeley, sixth

Johnny Benson holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos® Rookie at Indianapolis and is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the race. Benson led three times for 70 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the 1996 event.

The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead at Indianapolis is Jamie McMurray, who led twice for 22 laps in 2003.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap at Indy:
1996: Johnny Benson (three times for 70 laps)
1997: Mike Skinner, (once for eight laps)
2000: Stacy Compton (once for one lap)
2001: Kurt Busch (once for one lap)
2001: Kevin Harvick (once for 18 laps)
2003: Jamie McMurray (twice for 22 laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Indy:
2001: Kurt Busch, fifth
2002: Ryan Newman, fourth
2003: Jamie McMurray, third
2004: Kasey Kahne, fourth
2006: Clint Bowyer, fourth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Indy:
1996: Johnny Benson, eighth
1997: Mike Skinner, ninth
1999: Tony Stewart, seventh
2000: Scott Pruett, 10th
2001: Kurt Busch, fifth
2002: Ryan Newman, fourth
2002: Jimmie Johnson, ninth
2003: Jamie McMurray, third
2004: Kasey Kahne, fourth
2005: Kyle Busch, 10th
2006: Clint Bowyer, fourth
2006: Denny Hamlin, 10th

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 196
David Ragan 182
Paul Menard 132
David Reutimann 118
AJ Allmendinger 76 

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