#11-Denny Hamlin was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the September 17 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Hamlin finished fourth and moved into second-place in the Nextel Cup Series championship standings. He is just 35 points behind leader Kevin Harvick. Hamlin scored his fifth top-five and 14th top-10 finish this season and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 14th time in 27 races this season. Hamlin posted his 10th straight top-15 finish and led the race once for four laps. The most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead the Nextel Cup Series championship standings is Jimmie Johnson in 2002. Johnson led after the Kansas event (race No. 28). A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top 15 in all 27 races this season. Tony Stewart owns the best points finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the sports modern era, placing fourth in the championship standings in 1999. James Hylton holds the best points finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the sports history, a second-place effort in 1966. Hamlin leads Clint Bowyer by 52 points (260-208) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the September 24 Dover 400 at Dover International Speedway. Jimmie Johnson is the only Raybestos Rookie to win both Nextel Cup races at Dover. Johnson swept both events in 2002, and led the most laps in each race. Johnson is the only first-year driver to lead the most laps in the fall race at Dover (four times for 170 laps) and is the most recent freshman driver to lead a lap at the one-mile Delaware speedway. The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos Rookie for the fall race at Dover is third by Tony Stewart (1999), Brian Vickers (2004) and Busch (2005). The most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in the fall race at Dover is Jimmie Johnson in 2002 (four times for 170 laps). He is also the most recent Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish in the fall event.(Raybestos PR), for more rookie notes, standings, history…see the 2006 Rookies Page.(9-21-2006)
