![]() |
|
| Rookie Preview: Phoenix
11-06-2006 | TruckSeries.com Report
Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the November 3 Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway. Darnell finished ninth, his 10th top-10 finish of the 2006 season. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 13th time in 23 races. Marcos Ambrose claimed a top-10 finish at Texas. Ambrose finished 10th, his fourth top-10 in 20 Craftsman Truck Series starts. Darnell leads Chad McCumbee by 56 points (203-147) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Nov. 10 Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. Darnell is 13th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He trails 12th-place Dennis Setzer by 22 points and leads 14th-place Matt Crafton by 17. 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. Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix, logging a 12th-place finish. Did You Know? Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies in fall race at Phoenix: 1997: Kenny Irwin, fourth Did You Know? 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 (second), 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 scored his first career victory at Homestead in just his 8th career start. Raybestos Rookie Contender Point Standings Driver - Points Highest-finishing Raybestos Rookie by Race GM FlexFuel 250 - Darnell, sixth
| |