NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE CONTENDERS - NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Justin Marks was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the February 15 Chevy Silverado 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.  Marks scored an eighth-place finish, his second top-10 in five career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.

Brian Scott also had a great night at Daytona, scoring a ninth-place finish.  He scored his best Craftsman Truck Series finish in eight starts and first top-10.

Marks holds a two-point lead (14-12) over Scott in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the Feb. 23 San Bernardino County 200 at California Speedway.  

DID YOU KNOW?  The most recent Raybestos Rookie to win a Craftsman Truck Series race is Carl Edwards.  Edwards captured the 2003 Federated Auto Parts 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, crossing the finish line 1.209 seconds ahead of second-place Ted Musgrave (111 races).

DID YOU KNOW?  The most recent Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in the Craftsman Truck Series is Erik Darnell.  Darnell captured the top starting spot for the 2006 Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (35 races).     

DID YOU KNOW?  Todd Kluever is the most recent Raybestos Rookie to post a top-five finish at California Speedway, grabbing a fourth-place finish in 2005.

David Reutimann is the most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap at California Speedway.  Reutimann led the 2004 race once for seven laps.

Kurt Busch is the only Raybestos Rookie to win from the pole at California Speedway.  Busch won the pole and the race in 2000 and is the only first-year driver to win a pole or race in the eight previous races at the 2.0-mile speedway.  Busch is one of only two drivers to win from the pole in a Craftsman Truck Series at California Speedway.

Top-five finishes by Raybestos Rookies at California Speedway:

1997:   Kenny Irwin, third 

2000:   Kurt Busch, first

2001:   Jon Wood, third

2002:   Brendan Gaughan, third

2005:   Todd Kluever, fourth

DID YOU KNOW?  The most Raybestos Rookies to finish in the top-10 in a race at California Speedway is FOUR in the 2001 Auto Club 200: Jon Wood (third), Travis Kvapil (seventh), Matt Crafton (ninth), and Ricky Hendrick (10th).

RAYBESTOS ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER                                            POINTS

Justin Marks                                         14

Brian Scott                                           12

Andy Lally                                              9

Phillip McGilton                                      8

Marc Mitchell                                         7

Colin Braun                                            6 

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT                                              HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE

Chevy Silverado 250                                      Marks, eighth 

RAYBESTOS ROOKIE HISTORY

Willie Allen won the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Allen finished 15th in the Craftsman Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.  His best finish came in the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (race No.20) where he placed sixth.  Allen's official margin of victory over Tim Sauter in the final Raybestos Rookie standings was seven points (160-153).

The most Raybestos Rookies to win a race in a single season: THREE in 1997(Kenny Irwin, Tony Raines, and Randy Tolsma).

The most poles by a Raybestos Rookie: FOUR (Greg Biffle in 1998 and Kurt Busch in 2000)

Kurt Busch holds the record for best championship finish (2nd), most wins (four), and most money earned ($745,632).

The record for most top-fives by a Raybestos Rookie is 13 (shared by Busch in 2000 and Carl Edwards in 2003). 

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

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

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.