Aric Almirola was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 29 Ram Tough 200 at Gateway (Madison, Ill.) International Raceway. Almirola finished 10th, his first top-10 of the season, and took top Raybestos Rookie honors for the first time this season.

Almirola moved into second-place in the Raybestos Rookies standings. He trails leader Erik Darnell by 13 points (54-41) entering the May 19 Quaker Steak and Lube 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Darnell is 12th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He has one top-five and two top-10 finishes in five races this season.

Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 Quaker Steak and Lube 200, posting a 20th-place finish.

Did You Know? A Raybestos Rookie has qualified in the top-10 for each of the THREE Craftsman Truck Series races at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

2003: Carl Edwards, sixth
2004: Robert Huffman, seventh
2005: Shige Hattori, eighth

• The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie at Charlotte is 12th by Edwards.
• A Raybestos Rookie has not led a lap in three races at Charlotte.
• The most Raybestos Rookies to finish on the lead lap at Charlotte: two in 2004.

Raybestos Rookie History

• The most Raybestos Rookies to win a race in a single season is THREE in 1997: Kenny Irwin, Tony Raines and Randy Tolsma.
• The most poles by a Raybestos Rookie is four (Greg Biffle in 1998 and Kurt Busch in 2000).
  Busch holds the record for best championship finish (2nd), most wins (four) and most money won ($745,632).
• The record for most top fives by a Raybestos Rookie is 13 (shared by Busch and Carl Edwards).
• The record for most top-10 finishes by a Raybestos Rookie is 19, by Ricky Hendrick in 2001.
• Irwin was the first Raybestos Rookie to win a race in the Craftsman Truck Series. He captured the Florida Dodge Dealers 400K at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 16, 1997. Irwin took the checkered flag by .289 seconds over Mike Bliss.
• Irwin also holds the record for quickest win by a Raybestos Rookie in the Craftsman Truck Series, scoring his first career victory at Homestead in just his third career start.

Raybestos Rookie Contender Point Standings

Driver - Points
Erik Darnell - 54
Aric Almirola - 41
Kyle Krisiloff - 32
Chad McCumbee - 29
Erin Crocker - 28
Kerry Earnhardt - 27
Bobby East - 27
Joey Miller - 27
Boston Reid - 21
Robert Richardson - 21
Kraig Kinser - 19
Scott Lagasse Jr. - 12
Sean Murphy - 10
Marcos Ambrose - 4
J.R. Patton - 2
Tam Topham - 1

Highest-Finishing Raybestos Rookie by Race

Event - Highest Finishing Rookie
GM FlexFuel 250 - Darnell, sixth
racetickets.com 200 - Darnell, 11th
John Deere 200 - Darnell, eighth
Kroger 250 - Darnell, 11th
Ram Tough 200 - Almirola, 10th