#18-J.J. Yeley was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the February 26 Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. Yeley scored an eighth-place finish, his best effort in eight career NEXTEL Cup starts. He took top Raybestos Rookie honors for the first time in 2006. #07-Clint Bowyer holds a two-point advantage over Yeley (21-19) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the March 12 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bowyer is the only Raybestos Rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series points. He is eighth in the standings entering the Las Vegas event, two points behind seventh-place Ryan Newman and 84 behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Kyle Busch was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2005 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished second, 1.661 seconds behind race winner Johnson. At least one Raybestos Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 10 years (1996-2005). There has been a first-time Bud Pole winner in each of the last 19 years (1987-2005).(Raybestos/Camp & Associates), see more notes and standings on my Rookies Page.(3-8-2006)
