ROOKIE NOTES: EasyCare 200 at Atlanta Preview

10-24-2007 | TruckSeries.com Report

- Willie Allen was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the October 20 Kroger 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.  Allen scored a 14th-place finish and took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the fourth time this season.  

- Allen holds a six-point advantage (149-143) over Tim Sauter in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the October 27 EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

- Allen is 15th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.  He is 63 points ahead of 16th-place Sauter.

- Joey Clanton was the top Raybestos® Rookie in the March race at Atlanta, claiming a ninth-place finish.

DID YOU KNOW?  Only once in six races at Atlanta have TWO Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-10.  In the 2007 American Commerical Lines 200, Joey Clanton placed ninth ahead of 10th-place Kelly Bires. 

Erik Darnell was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta, scoring a third-place finish. 

DID YOU KNOW?  The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in six Craftsman Truck Series races at Atlanta is third by Darnell and David Reutimann.  Reutimann scored a third-place finish in the 2004 spring race.

DID YOU KNOW?  David Reutimann and Robert Huffman made history in 2004 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Reutimann won the pole and Huffman grabbed the second starting spot, securing the first all-Raybestos® Rookie front row in the history of the Craftsman Truck Series.

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap at Atlanta (all six races):
2004: David Reutimann (twice for eight laps).
2005: Sean Murphy (once for one lap)
2006: Erik Darnell (once for one lap)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Atlanta (all six races):
2004: David Reutimann, third (spring race) 
2006:      Erik Darnell, third (fall race)

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Atlanta (all six races):
2004: David Reutimann, third (spring race)
2005: Todd Kluever, sixth (fall race)
2006: Erik Darnell, eighth (fall race)
2007: Joey Clanton, ninth (spring race)
2007: Kelly Bires, 10th (spring race)

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 Carl Edwards).

The record for most top-10 finishes by a Raybestos® Rookie is 19, by Ricky Hendrick in 2001.

Four drivers from Roush Racing have won Raybestos® Rookie of the Year while competing in the Craftsman Truck Series: Carl Edwards (2003), Greg Biffle (1998), Kurt Busch (2000) and Erik Darnell (2006).

Kenny Irwin was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a race in the Craftsman Truck Series.  Irwin captured the Florida Dodge Dealers 400K at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 16, 1997.  He 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 win at Homestead in just his third career start. 
 
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER          POINTS
Willie Allen    149
Tim Sauter      143
Joey Clanton    128
Jason White     117
Blake Bjorklund 110