#11-Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hamlin finished 10th, taking top rookie honors for the first time this season. A different driver has claimed the honor in each of the first three races. Hamlin scored his best finish of the 2006 season. He racked up the fourth top-10 finish of his 10-race NEXTEL Cup Series career. A rookie has finished in the top 10 in all three NEXTEL Cup Series races this season. #07-Clint Bowyer holds a seven-point advantage over Hamlin and #18-J.J. Yeley (35-28) in the rookie standings entering Atlanta.
Bowyer is the only rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings. He is currently seventh entering the Atlanta event, 14 behind sixth-place Kyle Busch and 151 behind leader Jimmie Johnson. DID YOU KNOW? Robby Gordon is the most recent rookie to win the pole for the 1997 spring race at Atlanta.(Raybestos PR), see more notes and the rookie standings on my 2006 Rookies page.(3-17-2006)
