This thread is for the discussion and articles about the contenders for the 2007 ROTY.
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David Ragan Raybestos Rookie of the Race in Daytona 500
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE DAYTONA 500 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2007.
DAVID RAGAN IN THE No. 6 AAA FORD WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE IN TONIGHT’S DAYTONA 500.
Notes:
· Ragan finished fifth, his best effort in three NEXTEL Cup Series starts. His best previous finish was 25th last fall at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
· Ragan earned a $5,000 bonus from Raybestos brand Brakes as the top rookie finisher.
· Ragan is the THIRD Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish in the Daytona 500. The others: Scott Wimmer (third in 2004) and Jeff Gordon (fifth in 1993).
· DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos Rookie has now scored two consecutive top-10 finishes in the Daytona 500 (Clint Bowyer finished sixth last year).
· Other Raybestos Rookies to score top-10 finishes by Raybestos Rookies in the Daytona 500 (since 1975):
1979: Dale Earnhardt, eighth
1980: Jody Ridley, 10th
1989: Rick Mast, sixth
1991: Bobby Hamilton, ninth
1993: Jeff Gordon, fifth
2000: Matt Kenseth, 10th
2002: Ryan Newman, seventh
2006: Clint Bowyer, sixth
More Notes
· DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos Rookie has now finished in the top-15 in 37 consecutive NEXTEL Cup Series races.
DAVID RAGAN, No. 6 AAA FORD:
“We wanted to come here and just finish with the AAA Ford Fusion. A top-five finish is great. We wanted to be the top Raybestos Rookie and want to be one of the top contending Roush cars week in and week out. It’s a pretty special day down here. It’s been an up and down week and that’s an understatement. All in all, it ended up a good day but we’ve still got a lot of hard work ahead. We’ve got to go to California.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN OUT THERE TODAY?
“You just can’t push the issue and luck is really a lot here. There were a few times when I was on the outside and it really worked out good for me there on the bottom at the end. We could have been Earnhardt Jr., getting our hood ripped off with 10 laps to go, but it just worked out. It makes me look like I did a little better job than I did.”
WERE YOU HANGING BACK EARLY IN THE RACE?
“I would have like to have got up there and race with ‘em, but that’s per Jimmy Fennig and Jack Roush to cruise around a little bit. We really didn’t want to stay back that far. We almost got in trouble a couple of times on a green flag pit stop, losing the draft. Things just work out when you have a good day, you have a little bit of luck, and you do your job right and things look good at the end of the day.”
HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO FINISH IN THE TOP-FIVE?
“I probably won’t sleep a wink tonight. We’ve got to get back because I think we’re going to VIR [Virginia International Raceway] tomorrow with our Busch car. We still have a lot of hard work. We’ll celebrate a little bit and I’m sure we’ll smile but man, there’s still 35 more races and Martinsville pays the same amount of points as Daytona does so we’ve got to keep digging. We went from 26th to sixth and I was like ‘Man, it’d be special for Mark Martin to win this race.’ The only bad thing is that I wish he was in a Roush car if he was to win. Deep down, I was hoping the 16 and 17 can hook up and somehow I can get up there and help them out. It would have been cool to see one of my teammates win the Daytona 500. But if one of my teammates can’t win, Mark Martin is first on the list.”
DID YOU HAVE A PRETTY GOOD VIEW ON THE LAST LAP?
“I didn’t know who won. I just saw the 5 get loose on the bottom. He came up the hill and they started beating and banging and I just kind of stuck behind Mike Wallace and just tried to keep it straight. I saw the start-finish line and I was just praying that I could make it there without tearing my car all the pieces.”
WHAT DOES THIS RUN DO FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE?
“Our confidence level has never been down. Sometimes it’s been in doubt before but it’s never been down. It’s great. I tell you, it’s probably more confident when we come back here in July or go to Talladega but California is a completely different type of racetrack. We’ve got our work cut out for us going to California and then to Bristol with the COT test. It’s a great run, a top-five, and a good start for the season but we can’t kid ourselves. We’ve got 35 more races to go.” HOW WERE THE LAST COUPLE OF LAPS? “I would have been happy if they would have thrown the checkered with two laps to go [smiles]. I would have taken a 10th-place finish but that was cool.”
COMMENT ON SCORING A TOP-FIVE IN YOUR FIRST DAYTONA 500.
“That’s special. My Dad and my Mom, they couldn’t even watch the last few laps. The last few laps the AAA Ford Fusion was handling great. It was just a matter of having a little bit of push behind me or someone to follow in front of me. It just worked out good. When things go your way, they go your way.”
WHAT HAPPENED COMING OFF TURN 4 ON THE LAST LAP?
“All I saw was Kyle Busch getting on the apron coming off of 4 and he scooted up the hill. I don’t know if we went under him or on top of him but he was just up and down and you could tell that he was just trying to hang on just to the finish line. I was kind of tucked into Mike Wallace and I was committed to following Mike. He had helped me out throughout the race and what a great finish for AAA and everyone at Ford and Roush Fenway Racing.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE:
IS STOCK CAR RACING MORE DIFFICULT THAN YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE?
“Stock car racing is good. Here, it’s easy, just get a good handling car put yourself in the right position to move forward is all you can do. The way it played out and we missed every wreck was good.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOU FIRST DAYTONA 500?
“It started really bad. We were really tight and we were struggling. The car was so bad and I don’t know what happened. We didn’t change the car at all from the 150 and it just got tighter and tighter and tighter and once we started running good we got to the pits and my crew chief told me to go to reverse and when I went to get out of gear and it got stuck between two gears and it broke half the gearbox. We’re not even going to run and Tony [Glover] is like drop the clutch and I put it in fourth gear and said ‘Guys push me back, push me out and let’s go.’ The transmission had second and when I went to third it just broke it in pieces, got fourth and that was it. I was lucky to get a good run on the last restart. It’s a shame. I think everybody at Texaco/Havoline Dodge and Chip Ganassi Racing did an amazing job. We had great motors here. A top-20 is kind of what I wanted to do here.”
JIMMY FENNIG, CREW CHIEF, No. 6 AAA FORD:
“It was a good day for those boys. David did an awesome job, the spotter did a good job, the crew, everybody. We couldn’t ask for anything better than this.”
HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE DOES THIS GIVE THE TEAM?
“I think it was great. It was a great learning thing to run 200 laps. That was our goal, to run all the laps, because you can’t learning anything being in the truck.”
HOW BIG OF A CHALLENGE IS THIS FOR YOU?
“David has got a lot of talent, a lot of talent. We’ve just got to keep working him into all these places and he’ll be fine. After the first couple of races once he’s been to a few of these racetracks he’ll be just like nobody else.”
“It wasn’t a good day. I thought we had a lot better car than that. We kind of got stuck there in the back and we just couldn’t ever get it right. It was just go tight back there in the back, which everybody that got back to the back got tight. We got it pretty good there at the end but it was just too late. And we didn’t have anything but high gear on the restart. We probably should have freed the car up a little bit more. I probably should have communicated a little bit better on the pit stop. That’s one thing that I thought I did but maybe I didn’t communicate well. In a deal like that when you get blocked in it’s better to just push the car back and leave in first gear and that kind of hurt us a little bit on that.”
DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 DOMINO’S TOYOTA:
“Coming off of 2 over there I don’t know if somebody got into the 48 car or what happened. My spotter just said ‘They’re wrecking in front of you’ and by the time you hear that it’s too late. I saw a car come across in front of me and I got into him. I don’t even know what car it was. I’m just disappointed. I thought we were going to have a pretty decent finish. We were kind of plugging away steady there on the bottom and I think we would have had a pretty decent run. I hate it for Domino’s and everybody at Michael Waltrip racing but we’ve got California next week so we’ll gear up and go from there.”
YOU GOT A LAP DOWN BUT MADE IT BACK UP.
“We were horrible early on and Frankie and guys made a tons and tons of changes and got it really, really good. The motor was running hot for a while. We had too much tape on it so all I could do is ride. We got all that fixed and it was driving good. I was like ‘Man, here we go.’ It looked like we were completely out of it and we’re back in it and now we’re out of it.”
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings:
Ragan 17
Montoya 10
Reutimann 9
Menard 1
Whitt 1
Allmendinger 1
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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Juan Pablo Montoya top Raybestos Rookie in UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
Camp & Associates, Inc,. For Raybestos, Press Release
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 400 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, MARCH 11, 2007.
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA IN THE No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AT LAS VEGAS.
NOTES:
· Montoya finished 22nd in today’s race at Las Vegas.
· Montoya earned a $5,000 bonus from Affinia Group as part of the Raybestos Rookie Magnificent Seven program. The Raybestos® Rookie of the Race normally pays $1,500 but that increases to $5,000 at seven designated races throughout the 2007 season. The next event where the bonus is available will be April 1 in Martinsville, Va.
· UNOFFICIALLY David Ragan holds a seven-point lead (37-30) over Montoya in the Raybestos® Rookie standings.
MONTOYA: “It’s a shame. The Texaco/Havoline Dodge car was really fast today. We went a lap down and we were chasing the 48 and the M&M’s car got in the way and it damaged my fender. From there on the grill broke and we just went backwards from then on and the car just became undriveable.”
DID YOU MAKE ANY IMROVEMENTS IN THE WAY THE CAR HANDLED TODAY?
“Yeah, the car was good from the beginning. When you damage the fenders at a track like this you’re done.”
WHAT’S THE MAIN THING YOU LEARNED TODAY THAT WILL HELP YOU IN THE FUTURE?
“We’ve just got to keep working the cars and make them faster.”
ARE THESE THE TOUGHEST TIRES THAT YOU’VE EVER DRIVEN ON?
“It’s all relative. In this series so far it’s the hardest but I’ve been through probably worse.”
PAUL MENARD, No. 15 MENARDS/JOHNS MANVILLE CHEVROLET:
YOU FINISHED THE RACE AND GOT EXPERIENCE TODAY.
“After seeing how the Busch race went, that was our main goal. We would obviously like to finish better but we fought back a lot. I wrecked the car twice, in practice and qualifying, and the guys fixed it. Wrecked again in the race but I just barely hit the left front fender. We just missed it. We made us some good adjustments and got it better but overall we were a couple tenths off. We’ve got to go back and figure out what we did and got to Atlanta with a different car and hopefully get a top-10 there.”
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING TODAY THAT WILL HELP YOU LATER ON IN THE SEASON?
“Probably Charlotte would be the best place. This place and Charlotte are pretty similar as far as new asphalt and really hard tires. I probably learned a few things air pressure wise and setup wise. It’s going to be a totally different ballgame in Atlanta.”
WILL YOU HAVE A NEW CAR IN ATLANTA?
“A new old car, a refurbished old car [laughs].”
DAVID RAGAN, No. 6 AAA FORD:
YOU HAD PROBLEMS EARLY.
“I just messed up there on the second lap. I got up high and got where there wasn’t any grip, in the loose stuff. I just couldn’t hold on, really. That really put us in the hole for the rest of the day and we went back out and rode some. It’s certainly not what these guys deserve. They deserve a lot better and that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve got to work on that. We’ve got a lot better race car and a lot better race team than that.”
IT MUST BE A CHALLENGE TO NURSE A CAR FOR AS LONG AS YOU DID.
“It’s real frustrating to not to be able to go out there and run it at it’s full potential. We still had a decent car even after the wreck. We felt like we could get up there and race with ‘em but we couldn’t afford to race with ‘em too hard. We were better off to cruise around and make some laps and pick up some points. We’ve got to regroup and go get ‘em at Atlanta.”
Where the Raybestos Rookies finished at Las Vegas:
Montoya 22nd
Menard 32nd
Ragan 37th
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie Standings:
Ragan 37
Montoya 30
Menard 21
David Reutimann 18
AJ Allmendinger 3
Brandon Whitt 3
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
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Raybestos® Rookie Contender Qualifying Quotes For The Kobalt Tools 500
Montoya top Raybestos Rookie qualifier at Kobalt Tools 500
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUALIFYING QUOTES FOR THE KOBALT TOOLS 500 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY, MARCH 16, 2007
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA IN THE No. 42 TEXACO/HAVOLINE DODGE WAS THE TOP RAYBESTOS ROOKIE QUALIFIER AT ATLANTA.
YOU PICKED UP A LOT ON THE SECOND LAP.
“First off I was thinking I had more grip and I pushed up the racetrack through 1 and 2 and put myself in a bad position because I knew I just had to do a clean lap on the second lap. I couldn’t really attack the track at all. It was way too slick out there for us. We had a really good balance this morning. We run really good this morning and the grip just wasn’t there as we expected.”
WAS QUALIFYING AT NIGHT A DISADVANTAGE FOR YOU?
“Well, with this weather you don’t know if it’s an advantage or disadvantage because the track is way too cool and the tires just ain’t working with this weather. I think it’s the same for everybody.”
WHAT IS YOU FIRST IMPRESSION OF ATLANTA?
“It’s cool. I like it.”
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE A BETTER RACE THAN LAS VEGAS?
“I don’t know. Vegas was pretty interesting. Everybody says here the racing is awesome. I’ll have to wait and see.”
HOW GOOD IS YOUR CAR?
“I think we’ve got a really good race car. We were third fastest in practice and I’m pretty disappointed with this qualifying performance.”
DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 DOMINO’S TOYOTA:
“They told me we were locked in so I’m going off what they told me. I’m hoping nobody has made a mistake but I’m thinking it should be good enough. I’m hoping it’s good enough.”
YOUR REACTION AFTER QUALIYING THIS WEEK IS 100 PERCENT DIFFERENT THAN ONE WEEK AGO AT LAS VEGAS.
“Yeah. You’ll have that I guess. Last week I knew we weren’t going to be good enough. After those laps I knew it wasn’t close enough. Nobody said it was going to be easy so we’ll keep plugging away here. Hopefully we’ll be here on Sunday and that’s been our goal all along.”
DID THE QUALIFYING DRAW WORK TO YOUR ADVANTAGE?
“I think it might have been a little bit of an advantage but I do think the colder temperatures all around didn’t make it as much of an advantage but definitely I think it helped.”
ARE YOU BEHIND WORKING ON RACE SETUP?
“We’re behind some because all we did was work on our qualifying setups and stuff. It doesn’t really matter if you can’t get in on Sunday it’s irrelevant. We just try to make up for lost time. We have tomorrow and hopefully we’ll learn a little bit in the Busch race and be able to apply it to this car over here and we should be good, I hope.”
IS THIS A NEW CAR?
“No. Actually, it’s the same one we missed the show with at Vegas. It goes to show that it wasn’t the car’s fault it was just ours.”
PAUL MENARD, No. 15 MENARDS/QUAKER STATE CHEVROLET:
“That gets really old, all this qualifying not in the top-35 so hopefully we’re on our way to get in the top-35 and just have a good race. Hopefully we get another top-10 like we did last year and gain some points and go to Bristol and qualify for that, survive, and be in the top-35 and forget about qualifying for a while. Daytona really hurt us. That was just kind of it’s own animal though, too. You qualify and then you have to deal with the 150s and it’s anybody’s race. Not necessarily the fastest car gets in. It’s how you race in the 150 and luck and all that. These guys give me an awesome race car every week and this was probably one of our most productive practice sessions that we’ve had all year as far as making changes to the race car and it responding. This is the first time that we’ve run this car this year and I think it’s a good one.”
ARE YOU GETTING MORE USED TO WHAT THE CUP CAR NEEDS VERSUS THE BUSCH CAR?
“Yeah, they want different things. The Busch car, you have such a secure feeling. With the big blade and everything. You really have to hustle a Busch car. In Cup racing, you have to let the car do the work. You can slide these things around a little bit more than you can a Busch car but you don’t want to be doing that with 850 horsepower.”
HOW FAR BEHIND ARE YOU WHEN YOU START PRACTICE ON SATURDAY MORNING?
“Probably about two runs behind. It’s going to be a whole different racetrack tomorrow. We had rain today and the guys that did race trim did it right away on basically a green racetrack. Tomorrow the sun is going to be out and it’ll probably be a little different animal. We’ll be a couple of runs behind but we’ll catch up.”
“We’re a little disappointed in that but we’ve still got a good starting spot.”
DID QUALIFYING AT NIGHT THROW YOU GUYS A CURVE?
“I think it did a little bit. I think it got too cold. I think it got so cold we probably should have adjusted the pressure a little bit on it. I think we’ll be fine in the race. I think we gained a little bit last week and from California. If we can make that same gain again this week we’ll be a lot better in the race.”
DAVID RAGAN, No. 6 AAA FORD:
“It was an average lap. We’ve just got to work on qualifying. If we can’t be on the pole there’s no need for me to take a chance on tearing something up. We feel like we’ve got a pretty good race car for the race and we’re just going to have to come from the back.”
WERE YOU FOCUSED ON RACE SETUP IN PRACTICE TODAY?
“Yeah, race setup and we were a little conservative. This is a pretty good car, we feel like, and it’s comfortable in race trim. You just don’t want to push the limit. I tore up enough stuff last week. I don’t need to put a scratch on anything until the checkered flag falls.”
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
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NNCS Raybestos Rookie Contenders Pre-Food City 500 Previews
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES
Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the March 18 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. Montoya scored a fifth-place finish, his best finish in five career NEXTEL Cup Series races. His previous best effort was 19th in the February 18 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (race No. 1).
Montoya took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the second consecutive race and for the second time this season. He holds a one-point edge over David Ragan (47-46) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the March 25 Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
FACT OF THE WEEK: Montoya is the only driver to simultaneously lead the Raybestos® Rookie standings in both the NEXTEL Cup Series and the Busch Series since the rookie program was created in Busch in 1989.
STAT OF THE WEEK: The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to lead a lap at Bristol is Kevin Harvick in the 2001 Food City 500. Harvick led three times for 137 laps, more than any other driver.
Montoya is 15th in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is trails 14th-place Kyle Busch by just six points and is only 28 behind 10th-place Carl Edwards. Montoya leads 16th-place Robby Gordon by 10 points and 17th-place Bobby Labonte by 15.
Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Food City 500, scoring a 14th-place finish.
DID YOU KNOW? A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-10 in three of the last five Food City 500 races at Bristol:
2002: Jimmie Johnson, seventh
2003: Greg Biffle, fifth
2005: Travis Kvapil, seventh
Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos® Rookie to win the pole at Bristol in his rookie season. Stewart took the top spot in the 1999 Sharpie 500 (August race). He is also the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in a race at Bristol, leading once for 225 laps.
The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie in the Food City 500 came in 1979 when Dale Earnhardt scored his first career win. Since Earnhardt’s victory, only three drivers have finished in the top-five in the spring race:
1981: Morgan Shepherd, fourth
1989: Dick Trickle, fifth
2003: Greg Biffle, fifth
DID YOU KNOW? Only once since 1975 have THREE Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-10 at a race in Bristol: 1979. Dale Earnhardt scored his first career win in the Food City 500 and was joined in the top-10 by Terry Labonte (seventh) and Joe Millikan (eighth).
DID YOU KNOW? Only once since 1981 have TWO or more Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-five in the Food City 500. In 1981, Morgan Shepherd placed fourth and Tim Richmond finished 10th.
A Raybestos® Rookie has finished in the top-10 just three times in the Food City 500 (spring race) at Bristol: Robert Pressley (10th in 1995), Jimmie Johnson (seventh in 2002), and Greg Biffle (fifth in 2003).
Since 1975, Tim Richmond is the only Raybestos® Rookie to score top-10 finishes in both Bristol races. In 1981, Richmond finished 10th in the Food City 500 and 10th in the Sharpie 500.
Two or more Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top-10 in both races at Bristol just once since 1975. In 1981, Morgan Shepherd (fourth) and Tim Richmond (10th) logged top-10 finished in the Food City 500 while Ron Bouchard (fifth) and Richmond (eighth) finished in the top-10 in the Sharpie 500.
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY
Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).
Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup since the program was created in 2004.
Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).
The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).
A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:
1987: Davey Allison, two
1999: Tony Stewart, three
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., two
2001: Kevin Harvick, two
2002: Jimmie Johnson, three
2005: Kyle Busch, two
2006: Denny Hamlin, two
More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories in their rookie season only three times: Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard (one each in 1981), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (2000), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (2002).
The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000).
At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 years (1996-2006).
The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Juan Pablo Montoya 47
David Ragan 46
Paul Menard 31
David Reutimann 26
AJ Allmendinger 4
Brandon Whitt 3
HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE
EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE
Daytona 500 Ragan, fifth
Auto Club 500 Ragan, 16th
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Montoya, 22nd
Kobalt Tools 500 Montoya, fifth
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
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Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES
Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s (Concord, N.C.) Motor Speedway. Montoya placed 28th and took top rookie honors for the fifth time this season.
Montoya leads David Ragan by six points (131-125) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the June 3 Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Visa at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Visa, scoring an 11th-place finish.
DID YOU KNOW? Only two Raybestos® Rookies have won the spring race at Dover: Jimmie Johnson and Davey Allison, who both scored their second career wins at Dover. Johnson won the 2002 race while Allison captured the 1987 event.
Only three Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in the spring race at Dover: Johnson (four times for 187 laps), Allison (six times for 212 laps), and Tony Stewart in 1999 (three times for 127 laps).
DID YOU KNOW? The most Raybestos® Rookies to finish in the top-10 in the spring race at Dover is THREE in 1979: Dale Earnhardt (fifth), Terry Labonte (sixth), and Joe Millikan (eighth).
At least two Raybestos® Rookies have finished in the top-10 in Dover’s spring race THREE other times:
2000: Matt Kenseth (second) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10th).
2002: Jimmie Johnson (first) and Ryan Newman (fifth) in 2002.
2004: Scott Riggs (fifth) and Scott Wimmer (ninth).
DID YOU KNOW? The best start by a Raybestos® Rookie in the spring race at Dover is second by Morgan Shepherd in 1981.
Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the spring race at Dover (since 1975):
1979: Dale Earnhardt, fifth
1982: Mark Martin, fifth
1987: Davey Allison, FIRST
1999: Tony Stewart, fourth
2000: Matt Kenseth, second
2002: Jimmie Johnson, FIRST
2002: Ryan Newman, fifth
2004: Scott Riggs, fifth
2005: Kyle Busch, second
Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in the spring race at Dover (since 1975):
1975: Bruce Hill, eighth
1979: Dale Earnhardt, fifth
1979: Terry Labonte, sixth
1979: Joe Millikan, eighth
1980: Jody Ridley, sixth
1981: Morgan Shepherd, sixth
1983: Sterling Marlin, 10th
1985: Ken Schrader, 10th
1987: Davey Allison, FIRST
1992: Jimmy Hensley, eighth
1997: Mike Skinner, ninth
1999: Tony Stewart, fourth
2000: Matt Kenseth, second
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., 10th
2002: Jimmie Johnson, FIRST
2002: Ryan Newman, fifth
2004: Scott Riggs, fifth
2004: Scott Wimmer, ninth
2005: Kyle Busch, second
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY
Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).
Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup since the program was created in 2004.
Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).
The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).
A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:
1987: Davey Allison, two
1999: Tony Stewart, three
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., two
2001: Kevin Harvick, two
2002: Jimmie Johnson, three
2005: Kyle Busch, two
2006: Denny Hamlin, two
More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories in their rookie season only three times: Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard (one each in 1981), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (2000), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (2002).
The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000).
At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 years (1996-2006).
The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Juan Pablo Montoya 131
David Ragan 125
Paul Menard 83
David Reutimann 73
AJ Allmendinger 48
Brandon Whitt 2
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
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This week's hot-button debate focuses on who is NASCAR's top rookie this season.
The season has reached the halfway point to the Chase, and it's time to look at the 2007 rookie class and see who has impresed. Five drivers are up for rookie of the year: A.J. Allmendinger, Paul Menard, Juan Montoya, David Ragan and David Reutimann.
Who would you give the rookie of the year crown to 13 races into the season?
Read both sides of the argument and then weigh in with your take.
Who's having the best rookie season so far in 2007?
Juan Montoya or David Ragan
This year's rookie class doesn't hold a candle to what last year's newcomers were able to accomplish, but there are some bright spots.
Juan Montoya has shown you don't need a stock car background to be competitive and Toyota has a solid future with David Reutimann and A.J. Allmendinger. But if I had to choose one guy as the circuit's top rookie, it would have to be the youngest of them all -- David Ragan.
Yes, he trails Montoya in total points but consider where the 21-year-old has come from. This is a guy who couldn't keep his car in a straight line last season, had to basically apply for each race and was even told 'no' by NASCAR for the Atlanta and Talladega races.
Count me among the many who thought Mr. Jack Roush was crazy for replacing Mark Martin with Ragan, especially after his wreck-fest at Martinsville where Tony Stewart called him "a dart without feathers."
Well, there's a reason Mr. Roush is a car owner and I'm not and it became evident in the season-opener at Daytona.
Ragan's fifth-place run proved immediately he could run the superspeedways without incident. With only one DNF and six finishes in the top 20, Ragan has come a long way in a short amount of time.
On top of that, unlike Montoya, Ragan is gaining respect in the garage, not losing it. Ragan isn't out there knocking drivers around and ticking off half of his competitors. He's learning as he goes, racing hard when it's appropriate and learning the art of give-and-take.
The battle for rookie of the year basically comes down to two. Menard, Allmendinger and Reutimann haven't made enough races to be factors so that leaves Ragan and Montoya. By the end of the season, look for Montoya to continue his hard racing and paying the price while young Ragan continues to improve, building for a very successful future.
• Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM
There's certainly room for debate when it comes to this year's crop of Nextel Cup rookies.
David Ragan has made every race and continues to improve week-by-week. Paul Menard showed strength at Texas and Richmond, David Reutimann was unlucky not to post a top-10 at Talladega and A.J. Allmendinger has shown flashes of brilliance since coming over from open-wheeled cars.
But if I'm picking the rookie of the year based on the first 13 races of the season, it's got to be Juan Montoya, hands down. While Ragan was moving up the NASCAR ladder at this time last year, Montoya was still driving Formula 1 cars.
Consider what Montoya's done in less than half a season. His only previous stock-car experience came when he tested the No. 24 Chevrolet for a handful of laps when Jeff Gordon gave him a chance to drive his Cup car on the road course at Indianapolis four years ago.
And yet, Montoya has more top-10 finishes than 10 other drivers who have started every race, including veterans like Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Rudd and Sterling Marlin. He may have had the fastest car at Atlanta, but ruined his chances of winning when he scraped the wall late in the event.
He's improved his position in seven of the 13 races -- and even more impressive, he's been running at the finish 100 percent of the time this season, despite being an aggressive driver who seems to love running the car on the edge of control every lap.
Sure, he's had his moments, the Nextel Open immediately comes to mind, but we saw veteran drivers do crazier things later that evening.
Certainly, the potential is there for Montoya to match the success he's attained in other forms of motorsports. And if you were picking someone from this rookie class around which to build a team, Juan Montoya would have to be No. 1 on your list.
• Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
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Last edited by mrsmopar12 : 06-06-2007 at 09:52 PM.
Reason: s pac ing err or
NNCS Raybestos Rookie Contenders Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race Previews
Camp & Associates, Inc., For Raybestos, Press Release
NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES
· Paul Menard was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the June 17 Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Menard finished 12th, his best effort in 10 starts this season, and he took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the third time in 2007. He also led the race once for one lap.
· Juan Pablo Montoya leads David Ragan by four points (159-155) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon (Sonoma, Calif.) Raceway.
· The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be race No. 5 in the Raybestos® Rookie Magnificent Seven program. The Raybestos® Rookie of the Race normally pays $1,500 but that increases to $5,000 at seven designated races throughout the 2007 season: Daytona (Feb. 18), Las Vegas (Mar. 11), Martinsville (April 1), Darlington (May 12), Infineon (June 24), Chicagoland (July 15), and Bristol (August 25).
Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, scoring a 12th-place finish.
The best finish by a Raybestos® Rookie at Infineon Raceway is ninth, which is shared by Kenny Irwin (1998) and Ryan Newman (2002).
DID YOU KNOW? Only one Raybestos® Rookie has led a lap in 18 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Infineon Raceway. Scott Pruett led twice for 10 laps in the 2000 race.
The best start by a Raybestos® Rookie at Infineon Raceway is second, shared by Jerry Nadeau (1998) and Tony Stewart (1999).
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY
Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).
Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup since the program was created in 2004.
Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).
The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is three, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).
A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:
1987: Davey Allison, two
1999: Tony Stewart, three
2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr., two
2001: Kevin Harvick, two
2002: Jimmie Johnson, three
2005: Kyle Busch, two
2006: Denny Hamlin, two
More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories in their rookie season only three times: Morgan Shepherd and Ron Bouchard (one each in 1981), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (2000), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (2002).
The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000).
At least one Raybestos® Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 years (1996-2006).
The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).
RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS
DRIVER POINTS
Juan Pablo Montoya 159
David Ragan 155
Paul Menard 104
David Reutimann 92
AJ Allmendinger 72
Brandon Whitt 2
®Raybestos is a registered trademark licensed to Brake Parts Inc. by Raybestos Products Company
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
The way to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999, 2005) and Matt Kenseth (2000).
Well Thog, that is because Jimmie Johnson didn't win a ROTY, Ryan Newman beat him out in 2002!
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2007 Rookie of the Year Contenders
David Ragan Raybestos Rookie of the Race in Daytona 500
Juan Pablo Montoya top Raybestos Rookie in UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
NNCS Raybestos Rookie Contenders Pre-Food City 500 Previews
NNCS Raybestos Rookie Contenders Autism Speaks 400 Race Previews
NNCS Raybestos Rookie Contenders Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race Previews
