#42-Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 13 Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. Montoya placed 23rd and took top rookie honors for the fourth time this season. Montoya leads David Ragan by four points (120-116) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. No Raybestos Rookie points will be awarded in either the Nextel Open or Nextel All-Star Challenge races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002) are the only Raybestos Rookies to win the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Tony Stewart was the first Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish in the Nextel All-Star Challenge. He placed second behind race winner Terry Labonte in 1999. Three Rookies have won the pole for the Nextel Open: Brett Bodine (1987), Jeff Gordon (1993) and Joe Nemechek (1994). No Raybestos Rookie is currently eligible for the 2007 Nextel All-Star Challenge. The best start by a Raybestos Rookie in the Nextel All-Star Challenge is second, by Denny Hamlin in 2006.(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc PR), see more notes, standings, history on my 2007 Rookies Page.(5-18-2007)
