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?
- The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the fall race at Phoenix is second by Greg Biffle in 1998.
- Other top-five finishes by Raybestos Rookies:
1997: Kenny Irwin, fourth
2000: Kurt Busch, fourth
2003: Carl Edwards, fourth
Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies in fall race at Phoenix:
1997: Kenny Irwin, fourth
2000: Kurt Busch, fourth
2001: Travis Kvapil, ninth
2003: Carl Edwards, fourth
Did You Know?
- Greg Biffle is the only Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in nine fall races at Phoenix, holding the top spot for 31 laps in 1998
- Bill Lester owns the best start by a Raybestos Rookie in nine fall races at Phoenix. Lester qualified second in 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 (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
Erik Darnell - 203
Chad McCumbee - 147
Marcos Ambrose - 142
Aric Almirola - 139
Bobby East - 119
Boston Reid - 99
Kerry Earnhardt - 99
Joey Miller - 96
Erin Crocker - 95
Kraig Kinser - 78
Robert Richardson - 78
Kyle Krisiloff - 70
Scott Lagasse Jr. - 40
Ryan Moore - 38
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
Smith's Las Vegas 350 - Ambrose, seventh
John Deere 250 - Richardson, 16th
Kroger 200 - Darnell, third
EasyCare 200 - Darnell, third
Silverado 350K - Darnell, ninth
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