#07-Clint Bowyer was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 6 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bowyer posted a fourth-place finish in the race, his best effort in 22 career Nextel Cup Series starts. His previous best was fifth earlier this season at Phoenix (race No. 8). This is Bowyers second top five and sixth top-10 finish of his career. Bowyer took Rookie of the Race honors for the fourth time this season. Denny Hamlin finished 10th at Indianapolis, his ninth top 10 of the season and third consecutive. Hamlin holds a 41-point edge over Bowyer in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering Watkins Glen. Hamlin is seventh in the Nextel Cup Series championship standings, best of any Rookie. He is 64 points behind sixth-place Mark Martin and 21 ahead of eighth-place Jeff Gordon. At least one Rookie has posted a top-10 finish in each of the last five races. A Rookie has finished in the top 15 in all 21 races this season. Kyle Busch was the Rookie of the Race in the 2005 race at Watkins Glen, posting a 33rd-place finish. The best finish by a Rookie at Watkins Glen is second by Ryan Newman in 2002. Only one other Rookie has scored a top-five finish at Watkins Glen: Robby Gordon, who placed fourth in 1997. The best qualifying effort by a Rookie at Watkins Glen is second by Greg Biffle in 2003. A Rookie has led a lap in three of the past four races at Watkins Glen: 2002: Newman (twice for 11 laps) 2003: Biffle (once for 23 laps) 2003: Jamie McMurray (once for one lap) 2004: Brendan Gaughan (once for seven laps). Biffle holds the record for most laps led by a Rookie at Watkins Glen, holding the top spot once for 23 laps in 2003.(Raybestos PR) for the rest of the notes, rookie standings and history see my Rookies Page.(8-11-2006)
