Ronda Greer Photo

Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the November 10 Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. Darnell scored a 10th-place finish, his 11th top-10 finish of the 2006 season. He took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 14th time in 24 races.

Chad McCumbee led once for one lap at Phoenix and was the only Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in the race. McCumbee has led four times in four races this season for a total of four laps this season.

Darnell leads Chad McCumbee by 58 points (206-148) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Nov. 17 Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Darnell is 14th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He trails 13th-place Matt Crafton by four points and leads 15th-place Brendan Gaughan by 252.

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).

Marcos 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.

David Reutimann is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole in 11 previous Craftsman Truck Series race at Homestead. Reutimann took the top starting spot for the 2004 Ford 200 at Homestead. He was also the Raybestos Rookie of the Race, grabbing a fourth-place finish.

Todd Kluever was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 Ford 200, posting a seventh-place finish.

The only Raybestos Rookie to win in 11 previous races at Homestead is Kenny Irwin, who won the 1997 Ford 200 over Mike Bliss.

Only two Raybestos Rookies have led a lap in nine previous races at Homestead:
1997: Kenny Irwin (led 13 laps)
2003: Carl Edwards (led once for three laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Homestead:
1996: Ron Barfield Jr., fourth
1996: Bryan Reffner, fifth
1997: Kenny Irwin, first
1998: Greg Biffle, fourth
1999: Mike Stefanik, second
2001: Travis Kvapil, second
2001: Ricky Hendrick, fifth
2004: David Reutimann, fourth

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Homestead:
1996: Ron Barfield Jr., fourth
1996: Bryan Reffner, fifth
1996: Jay Sauter, eighth
1996: Doug George, 10th
1997: Kenny Irwin, first
1998: Greg Biffle, fourth
1998: Scot Walters, 10th
1999: Mike Stefanik, second
1999: Scott Hansen, seventh
2000: Kurt Busch, ninth
2001: Travis Kvapil, second
2001: Ricky Hendrick, fifth
2004: David Reutimann, fourth
2005: Todd Kluever, seventh

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 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 eighth career start.

Raybestos Rookie Contender Point Standings
Driver - Points
Erik Darnell - 206
Chad McCumbee - 148
Marcos Ambrose - 147
Aric Almirola - 141
Bobby East - 123
Kerry Earnhardt - 101
Erin Crocker - 101
Joey Miller - 96
Kraig Kinser - 83
Robert Richardson - 80
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
Casino Arizona 150 - Darnell, 10th