Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the September 16 New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Darnell scored a ninth-place finish, his seventh top-10 of the 2006 season. He claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 10th tine in 18 races this season.

Darnell leads Chad McCumbee by 39 points (172-133) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the September 23 Smith Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor 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 Mike Skinner by 22 points and leads 15th-place Brendan Gaughan by 70.

Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 Smith Las Vegas 350, claiming an eighth-place finish. Kluever was the only first-year driver to finish inside the top-10.

Bryan Reffner is the only Raybestos Rookie to win the pole position for a Craftsman Truck Series race in nine previous events at Las Vegas. Reffner took the top starting spot for the 1996 CARQUEST Auto Parts 420K.

The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in nine previous Craftsman Truck Series races at Las Vegas is third by Travis Kvapil in 2001.

Greg Biffle holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie at Las Vegas. Biffle led 61 laps on his way to a fifth-place finish in 1998.

Raybestos Rookie that have led a lap at Las Vegas:

1998: Greg Biffle (61 laps)
2001: Travis Kvapil (once for one lap)
2003: Carl Edwards (three times for 19 laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Las Vegas:

1998: Greg Biffle, fifth
1998: Greg Biffle, third
2001: Travis Kvapil, third

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Las Vegas:

1996: Bryan Reffner, ninth
1997: Kevin Harvick, eighth
1997: Rick Crawford, 10th
1998: Greg Biffle, fifth
1998: Ron Barfield, ninth
1998: Greg Biffle, third
2001: Travis Kvapil, third
2001: Ricky Hendrick, sixth
2002: Brendan Gaughan, eighth
2002: Jason Small, 10th
2005: Todd Kluever, eighth

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 - 172
Chad McCumbee - 133
Aric Almirola - 120
Marcos Ambrose - 102
Joey Miller - 96
Boston Reid - 94
Bobby East - 92
Kerry Earnhardt - 86
Erin Crocker - 79
Kyle Krisiloff - 70
Kraig Kinser - 67
Robert Richardson - 50
Ryan Moore - 38
Scott Lagasse Jr. - 33

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
New Hampshire 200 - Darnell, ninth