Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 23 O'Reilly 200 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Darnell was credited with an 18th-place finish and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the ninth time this season.

Darnell leads Chad McCumbee by 32 points (162-130) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the September 16 New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Two Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions this season: Darnell and Marcos Ambrose. Darnell took the top staring spot for the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (race No. 16) while Ambrose won the pole for the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway (race No. 13).

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 Built Ford Tough 225.

Darnell is 14th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He trails 13th-place Brendan Gaughan by seven points and leads 15th-place Mike Skinner by 10.

Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire, claiming a 28th-place finish.

The most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap at New Hampshire is the late Ricky Hendrick, who led once for 14 laps in 2001.

Kurt Busch is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a race since the Craftsman Truck Series began competing at New Hampshire in 1996 (10 races). In 2000, Busch started fifth and led just once, covering the final 35 laps. The New Hampshire race was one of four wins Busch scored that season.

A Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-five finish in seven of the previous 10 races at New Hampshire.

Two or more Raybestos Rookies have finished in the top-five at New Hampshire THREE TIMES (1997, 1998 and 2001). THREE or more Raybestos Rookies have finished in the top-10 TWICE (1997 and 2001).

Raybestos Rookies who have scored top-fives at New Hampshire:

1997: Boris Said, fourth
1997: Kenny Irwin, fifth
1998: Greg Biffle, second
1998: Ron Barfield, fourth
2000: Kurt Busch, first
2001: Travis Kvapil, second
2001: Ricky Hendrick, fourth
2002: Brendan Gaughan, fifth
2003: Carl Edwards, second
2004: David Reutimann, fifth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies at New Hampshire:

1996: Bryan Reffner, sixth
1997: Boris Said, fourth
1997: Kenny Irwin, fifth
1997: Chuck Bown, 10th
1998: Greg Biffle, second
1998: Ron Barfield, fourth
2000: Kurt Busch, first
2000: Scott Riggs, sixth
2001: Travis Kvapil, second
2001: Ricky Hendrick, fourth
2001: Matt Crafton, 10th
2002: Brendan Gaughan, fifth
2003: Carl Edwards, second
2004: David Reutimann, fifth

The most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap at New Hampshire was Ricky Hendrick in 2001. Hendrick led once for 14 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish. The best start by a Raybestos Rookie at New Hampshire is fourth by Carl Edwards (2003) and Brendan Gaughan (2002).

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 - 162
Chad McCumbee - 130
Aric Almirola - 116
Marcos Ambrose - 96
Joey Miller - 96
Boston Reid - 92
Bobby East - 88
Kerry Earnhardt - 79
Erin Crocker - 76
Kyle Krisiloff - 70
Kraig Kinser - 67
Robert Richardson - 48
Scott Lagasse Jr. - 33
Ryan Moore - 28

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
O'Reilly 200 - Darnell, 18th