Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Raybestos Rookie Notes

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

David Ragan was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the September 2 Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway. Ragan scored a 12th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the 10th time this season.

Juan Pablo Montoya leads Ragan by 23 points (217-194) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the September 8 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

AJ Allmendinger scored an 18th-place finish at California Speedway, his best in 10 career NEXTEL Cup Series races. Allmendinger’s best previous finish was 31st in the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.).

A FIRST FOR REUTIMANN: David Reutimann led the Sharp AQUOS 500 once for one lap, the first time he has led a lap in 18 career NEXTEL Cup Series races. Reutimann was the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap in the race.

Montoya is 19th in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

Clint Bowyer was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400, claiming a 12th-place finish.

Raybestos® Rookie Denny Hamlin won the pole for the 2006 September race, one of three poles he won during his initial NEXTEL Cup season. Hamlin became the fourth Raybestos® Rookie since 1975 to win the pole for the fall race at Richmond. Dale Earnhardt (1979), Bobby Labonte (1993) and Jimmie Johnson (2002) are the others.

HISTORY LESSON: The first time in NEXTEL Cup’s modern-era that two Raybestos® Rookies claimed front row starting positions occurred at the 2002 Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Jimmie Johnson won the pole while Ryan Newman claimed the second-place starting position. An all-rookie front row has occurred just one other time: the 2004 Pocono 500 (Kasey Kahne first and Brian Vickers second).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, two or more Raybestos® Rookies have not finished in the top five in the September race at Richmond.

DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 in a fall race at Richmond is THREE in 1979: Earnhardt (fourth), Harry Gant (ninth) and Joe Millikan (10th).

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1975, only TWO Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in a fall race at Richmond: Tony Stewart (1999) and Ryan Newman (2002). Stewart led five times for 333 of the 400 laps, the most led by a first-year driver. Newman led twice for 145 laps.

The only Raybestos® Rookie to win the September race at Richmond is Tony Stewart, who captured the 1999 Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Stewart scored his first NEXTEL Cup Series win by 1.115 seconds over Bobby Labonte.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1977: Sam Sommers, fifth
1979: Dale Earnhardt, fourth
1980: Jody Ridley, fifth
1999: Tony Stewart, FIRST
2001: Kevin Harvick, second
2002: Ryan Newman, second
2005: Kyle Busch, fourth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1976: Terry Bivins, ninth
1977: Sam Sommers, fifth
1979: Dale Earnhardt, fourth
1979: Harry Gant, ninth
1979: Joe Millikan, 10th
1980: Jody Ridley, fifth
1983: Trevor Boys, ninth
1989: Dick Trickle, eighth
1989: Hut Stricklin, ninth
1993: Jeff Gordon, 10th
1994: Steve Grissom, seventh
1996: Johnny Benson, 10th
1998: Kenny Irwin, 10th
1999: Tony Stewart, FIRST
2001: Kevin Harvick, second
2002: Ryan Newman, second
2005: Kyle Busch, fourth

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 (since 1975):
1979: Dale Earnhardt (twice for 19 laps)
1993: Bobby Labonte (twice for 12 laps)
1996: Johnny Benson (once for 13 laps)
1998: Kenny Irwin (once for one lap)
1999: Tony Stewart (five times for 333 laps)
2001: Kevin Harvick (once for 12 laps)
2002: Ryan Newman (twice for 145 laps)
2003: Greg Biffle (once for two laps)
2005: Kyle Busch (three times for 10 laps)
2005: Travis Kvapil (once for one lap)

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 217
David Ragan 194
Paul Menard 175
David Reutimann 153
AJ Allmendinger 99

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