#77-Sam Hornish Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the June 1 Best Buy 400 at Dover International Speedway. Hornish Jr. scored an 18th-place finish and claimed top rookie honors for the fifth time in 13 races this season. #00-Michael McDowell led the Dover race once for one lap, the first time he has led in eight Sprint Cup Series starts. Other Raybestos Rookies that have led a lap this season: #10-Patrick Carpentier (four), #40-Dario Franchitti (1) and #01-Regan Smith (1). Hornish Jr. and Regan Smith are tied for the lead (127-127) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the June 8 Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. This is the fourth tie for the lead in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings this season. Three Raybestos Rookies have guaranteed starting positions at Pocono: Smith, Hornish Jr. and McDowell. Franchitti and Carpentier must qualify on speed. Franchitti will be attempting to make his first Sprint Cup Series start since April 12 at Phoenix. Franchitti has been sidelined since he fractured his left foot in an accident April 26 in a Nationwide Series race at Talladega. The only Raybestos Rookie to win the Pocono 500 (26 races) is Denny Hamlin. Hamlin won the 2006 race 1.328 seconds over second-place Kurt Busch and became just the third Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish in the June race at Poco# He also became the first Raybestos Rookie to lead the most laps (six times for 83 laps) and is one of just six rookies to lead a lap in the June race at Pocono (since 1989). Two Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions for the June race at Pocono: Hamlin and Kasey Kahne, who captured the top starting position for the 2004 race. Only once since 1975 have two or more Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10 in the June race at Pocono: Tim Richmond finished ninth and Ron Bouchard placed 10th in the 1981 Mountain Dew 500. The most recent Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in the Sprint Cup Series is Denny Hamlin. Hamlin captured the top starting spot for the 2006 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (59 races).(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos), see Rookie history, standings and more on my 2008 Rookies page.(6-5-2008)
