#77-Sam Hornish Jr. was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 17 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Hornish Jr. scored a 22nd-place finish and claimed top rookie honors for the seventh time this season. #01- Regan Smith leads Sam Hornish Jr. by just one point (178-177) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the August 23 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the August race at Bristol is second by Kevin Harvick in 2001. Since 1975, only one Raybestos Rookie has won the pole position for the August race at Bristol: Tony Stewart, who grabbed the top starting spot for the 1999 Sharpie 500. Stewart is the most recent Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in the Sharpie 500. No first-year driver has led a lap in any of the past nine Sharpie 500 races at Bristol. The most recent Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in the Sprint Cup Series is Patrick Carpentier. Carpentier captured the top starting spot for the 2008 LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway seven races ago.(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos). See rookie history, standings and more on my 2008 Rookies page.(8-21-2008)
