Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the March 18 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Montoya scored a fifth-place finish, his best finish in five career Nextel Cup Series races. His previous best effort was 19th in the February 18 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (race #1). Montoya took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the second consecutive race and for the second time this season. He holds a one-point edge over David Ragan (47-46) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the March 25 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Montoya is the only driver to simultaneously lead the Raybestos Rookie standings in both the Nextel Cup Series and the Busch Series since the rookie program was created in Busch in 1989. The most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap at Bristol is Kevin Harvick in the 2001 Food City 500. Harvick led three times for 137 laps, more than any other driver. Montoya is 15th in the Nextel Cup Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie. He is trails 14th-place Kyle Busch by just six points. Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos Rookie to win the pole at Bristol in his rookie season. Stewart took the top spot in the 1999 Sharpie 500 (August race). He is also the only Raybestos Rookie to lead the most laps in a race at Bristol, leading once for 225 laps. Only once since 1975 have Three Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10 at a race in Bristol: 1979. Dale Earnhardt scored his first career win in the Food City 500 and was joined in the top-10 by Terry Labonte (seventh) and Joe Millikan (eighth).(Camp and Assoc/Raybestos PR)(3-23-2007)
