Ambrose is the only Raybestos Rookie to capture WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. Ambrose led twice for 49 laps to claim the honor in the July 8 Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway (race No. 13).

DID YOU KNOW? At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in each of the last FIVE Craftsman Truck Series races.

• Erik Darnell won the pole position for the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville, his first pole in 17 career Craftsman Truck Series starts. He is the second Raybestos Rookie to win a pole this season, joining Ambrose.
• Chad McCumbee scored a seventh-place finish at Nashville, his best in 15 career Craftsman Truck Series starts. McCumbee qualified second at Nashville, his best effort in 2006.
• Darnell stretched his lead in the Raybestos Rookie standings to 26 points (153-127) over Chad
• McCumbee entering the August 23 O'Reilly 200 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• Darnell is 14th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He trails 13th-place Brendan Gaughan by four points and leads 15th-place Mike Skinner by 52.
• Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 O'Reilly 200 at Bristol. Kluever finished 13th and was the only first-year driver to finish on the lead lap.

DID YOU KNOW? No Raybestos Rookie has led a lap in eight Craftsman Truck Series races at Bristol.

• The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in seven previous races at Bristol is third by Jay Sauter in 1996. Sauter is the only Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish at Bristol.
• The most Raybestos Rookies to finish in the top-10 at Bristol is THREE in 1996: Sauter (third), Bobby Gill (seventh), and Lance Norick (ninth).

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Bristol:

1996: Jay Sauter, third
1996: Bobby Gill, seventh
1996: Lance Norick, ninth
1997: Rick Crawford, sixth
1997: Chuck Bown, ninth
1998: Kevin Cywinski, eighth
1998: Ron Barfield, seventh
1999: Scott Hansen, 10th

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 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 - 153
Chad McCumbee - 127
Aric Almirola - 115
Marcos Ambrose - 90
Boston Reid - 88
Joey Miller - 87
Bobby East - 85
Erin Crocker - 75
Kerry Earnhardt - 71
Kyle Krisiloff - 70
Kraig Kinser - 60
Robert Richardson - 46
Scott Lagasse Jr. - 33
Ryan Moore - 25
Michel Jourdain Jr. - 24
Sean Murphy - 12
J.R. Patton - 4
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
Quaker Steak and Lube 200 - Almirola, ninth
City of Mansfield 250 - Miller, fifth
AAA Insurance 200 - Almirola, 12th
Sam's Town 400 - McCumbee, ninth
Con-way Freight 200 - Darnell, 12th
Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 - Almirola, 13th
O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 - Ambrose, third
Built Ford Tough 225 - Darnell, ninth
O'Reilly 200 - Darnell, second
Power Stroke Diesel 200 - Darnell, 10th
Toyota Tundra 200 - Ambrose, third