#42-Juan Pablo Montoya was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the November 11 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Montoya scored a 17th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the 16th time this season. He has been the top rookie in three of the last four races. Montoya leads #6-David Ragan by 21 points (236-215) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the November 18 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At least one Raybestos Rookie has won a Bud Pole in each of the last 11 YEARS (1996-2006). Entering the Ford 400, no Raybestos Rookie has won a pole in 2007. Tony Stewart is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a Nextel Cup Series race at Homestead. He won the inaugural Ford 400 in 1999 by 5.289 seconds over Bobby Labonte. Stewart led the race four times for 44 laps. The most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie in eight previous races at Homestead is 52 by Casey Atwood in 2001. The only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole in eighth Nextel Cup races at Homestead is Jamie McMurray. McMurray won his first-career pole at the 2003 Ford 400 on his way to claiming Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. McMurray finished ninth in the race, his 13th top-10 finish of the 2003 season.(Camp and Assoc/Rabestos PR), see full rookie report, history and standings on the 2007 Rookies page.(11-15-2007)
