#42-Jamie McMurray has led more miles than any other Raybestos Rookie entering the Brickyard 400: eight times in three races for 97.25 miles (52 laps, I have 55 laps). The other rookies to lead this season: #16-Greg Biffle (twice in two races for 54.50 miles, 22 laps) and #41-Casey Mears (twice in two races for 22.50 miles, nine laps) [#14-Larry Foyt also led 5 laps [12.5 miles] at the June Pocono race]. Did You Know? A Raybestos Rookie has posted a top-10 finish in each of the past four Brickyard 400 races: Tony Stewart in 1999 (fourth), Scott Pruett in 2000 (10th), Kurt Busch in 2001 (fifth), and Ryan Newman (fourth) and Jimmie Johnson (ninth) in 2002. Johnny Benson is the only Raybestos® Rookie to lead the most laps in the nine previous Brickyard 400 races. In 1996, Benson led three times for 69 laps and finished eighth in the race. Newman was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in last year’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. He was also the top qualifying rookie, taking the fifth starting position time trials. Jimmie Johnson finished ninth after a disappointing 37th place qualifying run. Neither driver led a lap in the race. The most recent Raybestos Rookies to lead a lap in the Brickyard 400 were Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick in 2000. Harvick led once for 18 laps while Busch led once for one lap. With Biffle’s win in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, a Raybestos Rookie has now won at least one race in each of the last five seasons dating back to Tony Stewart’s win at Richmond in September, 1999. Other freshman drivers to win: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Richmond, 2000), Matt Kenseth (Charlotte, 2000), Kevin Harvick (Atlanta, 2001), Ryan Newman (New Hampshire 2002), and Jimmie Johnson (California and both 2002 Dover races). The record for most wins by a Raybestos Rookie is three, shared by Johnson (2002) and Stewart (1999). A Raybestos Rookie has posted multiple victories five times in NASCAR Winston Cup history: Davey Allison (two wins in 1987), Tony Stewart (three wins in 1999), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two wins in 2000), Kevin Harvick (two wins in 2001), and Jimmie Johnson (two wins in 2002). A Raybestos Rookie has won at least one pole position in each of the past seven consecutive seasons, dating back to 1996. The record for most poles in a rookie season is held by Ryan Newman, who won six in 2002.(Camp and Assoc PR). For standings and rules, see my Rookie of the Year page and Rookie Race by Race pages .(8-1-2003)
