NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS

Colin Braun was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the April 26 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway.  Braun claimed a third-place finish, the best of his six-race Craftsman Truck Series career and claimed top rookie honors for the second time this season.    

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

Braun enjoys a five-point lead (53-48) over Justin Marks in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the May 16 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.). 

DID YOU KNOW?  The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in five Craftsman Truck Series races at Lowe's Motor Speedway is ninth by Aric Almirola in 2006.
 
Only one other Raybestos® Rookie has scored a top-10 at Lowe's Motor Speedway: Erik Darnell, who placed 10th in 2006.
 
DID YOU KNOW?  Only one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in five Craftsman Truck Series races at Lowe's Motor Speedway: Tim Sauter.  Sauter led the 2007 event once for one lap. 
 
DID YOU KNOW?  A Raybestos® Rookie has qualified in the top-10 for four of the five Craftsman Truck Series races at Lowe's Motor Speedway:

2003:   Carl Edwards, sixth

2004:   Robert Huffman, seventh

2005:   Shige Hattori, eighth

2006:   Erin Crocker, second

2006:   Marcos Ambrose, third

The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish on the lead lap at Lowe's Motor Speedway is eight in 2006.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
 

DRIVER                                            POINTS
Colin Braun                                           53

Justin Marks                                          48

Brian Scott                                            44

Phillip McGilton                                     38

Donny Lia                                             37  

Andy Lally                                            35   

Marc Mitchell                                       28

 
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

O'Reilly Auto Parts 250                       Braun, third

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

Willie Allen won the 2007 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Camping World 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.