Raybestos Rookie News and Notes: California

02-22-2005 | TruckSeries.com Report

Sean Murphy was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race at the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway, scoring a 24th-place finish.

Kerry Earnhardt won the pole for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250, his first ever in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Regan Smith and Kerry Earnhardt were the only Raybestos® Rookies to lead at least one lap at Daytona.  Smith led three times for four laps while Earnhardt held the top spot once for one lap.

David Reutimann was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2004 American Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway.  Reutimann finished sixth after leading the race once for seven laps.  Robert Huffman also led the event once covering five laps.

DID YOU KNOW? Kurt Busch is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win from the pole at California Speedway.  Busch won the pole and the race in 2000 and is the only first-year driver to win a pole or race in the eight previous races at the 2.0-mile speedway.  Busch is one of only two drivers to win from the pole in a Craftsman Truck Series at California Speedway.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-five four times at California Speedway:

  • Kenny Irwin, third in 1997
  • Kurt Busch, first in 2000
  • Jon Wood, third in 2001
  • Brendan Gaughan, third in 2002

DID YOU KNOW?  The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 in a race at California Speedway is FOUR in the 2001 Auto Club 200: Jon Wood (third), Travis Kvapil (seventh), Matt Crafton (ninth), and Ricky Hendrick (10th).

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER - POINTS
Sean Murphy 11
Todd Kluever 10
Regan Smith 9
Shige Hattori 8
Kerry Earnhardt 7
J.R. Patton 0
Jason Rudd 0

HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT - HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE

Florida Dodge Dealers 250 - Sean Murphy, 24th