#10-Patrick Carpentier was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the April 6 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, the first time he has taken the honor in 2008. Carpentier scored a 28th-place finish, his best on an oval in his seven-race Sprint Cup Series career. #01-Regan Smith holds a one-point lead (68-67) over #77-Sam Hornish Jr. in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the April 12 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix. Four different drivers have claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in seven races this season. Smith, Hornish, Jr., and McDowell are the only members of the Raybestos Rookie class with a guaranteed starting spot at Phoenix. Two Raybestos Rookies entered in this weekend’s race at Phoenix do not have a guaranteed starting positions: Franchitti and Carpentier. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart are the only Raybestos Rookies to win in 23 Sprint Cup races at Phoenix. Stewart won the 1999 fall race from the pole, beating Mark Martin to the checkered flag by 2.081 seconds. Busch captured the 2005 fall race by .609 seconds over Greg Biffle. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in three spring races at Phoenix is fifth by Clint Bowyer in 2006. The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos Rookie in three previous spring races at Phoenix is sixth by Denny Hamlin in 2006. Stewart is the only Raybestos Rookie to lead the most laps at Phoenix, leading three times for 150 laps in 1999. Three Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions at Phoenix, all coming in the fall race: Stewart, Casey Atwood (2001) and Ryan Newman (2002). Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22). Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the program was created in 2004.(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos)(4-10-2008), see full notes, standings, history on my 2008 Rookies page.
