ROOKIE NOTES: O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas
04-22-2008 3:43 pm

· Donny Lia was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the March 29 Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Lia grabbed a ninth-place finish, his best in five career Craftsman Truck Series starts. He claimed top rookie honors for the first time this season.

· GOOD START TO THE SEASON: A Raybestos® Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in three of the four Craftsman Truck Series races this season.

· Justin Marks and Phillip McGilton are tied for the lead (38-38) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the April 26 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway.

· McGilton is 12th in the series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie.

Aaron Fike was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2007 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, scoring an eighth-place finish. Fike also led the race once for six laps.

DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-10 at Kansas for three consecutive races.

DID YOU KNOW? At least one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in three consecutive races at Kansas.

Ricky Hendrick is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win in seven previous Craftsman Truck Series races at Kansas. Hendrick captured the 2001 event by 2.841 seconds over Ted Musgrave.

The record number of Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 at Kansas is FIVE in 2001.

The most Raybestos® Rookies to lead a lap in a race at Kansas are FOUR in 2001.

The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos® Rookie is second (Ricky Hendrick in 2001 and Tyler Walker in 2007).

Raybestos® Rookies that have led a lap at Kansas: :
2001: Ricky Hendrick (three times for 32 laps)
2001: Jon Wood (twice for 12 laps)
2001: Travis Kvapil (once for three laps)
2001: Billy Bigley (once for two laps)
2003: Carl Edwards (once for three laps)
2005: Todd Kluever (once for two laps)
2006: Kyle Krisiloff (twice for 16 laps)
2006: Marcos Ambrose (once for one lap)
2007: Aaron Fike (once for six laps)

Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Kansas:
2001: Ricky Hendrick, FIRST
2001: Jon Wood, fourth
2001: Billy Bigley, fifth
2003: Carl Edwards, second
2005: Todd Kluever, second
2006: Marcos Ambrose, third

Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies at Kansas:
2001: Ricky Hendrick, FIRST
2001: Jon Wood, fourth
2001: Billy Bigley, fifth
2001: Travis Kvapil, sixth
2001: Nathan Haseleu, 10th
2003: Carl Edwards, second
2005: Todd Kluever, ninth
2006: Marcos Ambrose, second
2007: Aaron Fike, eighth

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER POINTS
Justin Marks 38
Phillip McGilton 38
Brian Scott 36
Colin Braun 34
Andy Lally 28
Donny Lia 28
Marc Mitchell 22

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Chevy Silverado 250 Marks, eighth
San Bernardino County 200 Braun, ninth
American Commercial Lines 200 Marks, 14th
Kroger 250 Lia, ninth

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).

· 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 (114 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 (38 races).

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.