#01-Regan Smith was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 23 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Smith scored a 14th-place finish equaling his best effort in 29 Sprint Cup Series starts. He also finished 14th this season at Martinsville Speedway (race No. 6). Smith claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the seventh time in 2008. Regan Smith leads #77-Sam Hornish Jr. by two points (181-179) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the August 31 Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway. Smith has led the Raybestos Rookie standings since the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway (race No. 18), a span of seven consecutive races. Smith has captured Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in all four Sprint Cup Series short track races this season. A Raybestos Rookie has finished in the top-five in three of the four previous August races at Auto Club Speedway. Brian Vickers (2004) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole in four previous August races at Auto Club Speedway. Kyle Busch became the first Raybestos Rookie to win at Auto Club Speedway when he captured the 2005 Pepsi 500. Busch scored his first Sprint Cup victory by .554 seconds over Greg Biffle and is the only Raybestos Rookie to win in 16 Sprint Cup Series races at the 2.0-mile speedway.(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos), for rookie history, standings and more, see my 2008 Rookies page.(8-28-2008)
