Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Toyota/Save Mart 350 - 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 June 17 Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Menard finished 12th, his best effort in 10 starts this season, and he took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the third time in 2007. He also led the race once for one lap.

Juan Pablo Montoya leads David Ragan by four points (159-155) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon (Sonoma, Calif.) Raceway.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be race No. 5 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: Daytona (Feb. 18), Las Vegas (Mar. 11), Martinsville (April 1), Darlington (May 12), Infineon (June 24), Chicagoland (July 15), and Bristol (August 25).

Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, scoring a 12th-place finish.

The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie at Infineon Raceway is ninth, which is shared by Kenny Irwin (1998) and Ryan Newman (2002).

DID YOU KNOW? Only one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in 18 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Infineon Raceway. Scott Pruett led twice for 10 laps in the 2000 race.

The best start by a Raybestos® Rookie at Infineon Raceway is second, shared by Jerry Nadeau (1998) and Tony Stewart (1999).

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 159
David Ragan 155
Paul Menard 104
David Reutimann 92
AJ Allmendinger 72 
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 
Dodge Avenger 500 Montoya, 23rd 
Coca-Cola 600 Montoya, 28th 
Autism Speaks 400 Ragan, 14th 
Pocono 500 Montoya, 20th 
Citizens Bank 400 Menard, 12th