Reed Sorenson was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the March 20 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sorenson finished 10th, his first top-10 finish in six NEXTEL Cup Series starts and took top rookie honors for the first time this season. The finish was the best effort of Sorenson’s NEXTEL Cup career. His previous best effort came February 26 at California Speedway where he logged a 21st-place finish. A different driver has claimed the honor in each of the first four NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2006. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top 10 in all four NEXTEL Cup Series races this season. Clint Bowyer holds a five-point advantage over J.J. Yeley (43-38) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the March 26 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bowyer is the only Raybestos Rookie that ranks in the top 10 in the NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings. He is currently 10th entering the Bristol event, 19 behind ninth-place Dale Jarrett. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top-10 in three of the last four Food City 500 races at Bristol: Kvapil, Greg Biffle (fifth in 2003) and Jimmie Johnson (seventh in 2002). The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the Food City 500 came in 1979 when Dale Earnhardt scored his first career win.(Raybestos PR), see more notes, standings on my ROTY Page.(3-23-2006)
