#01-Regan Smith ]almost won the race] was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the October 5 AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith scored an 18th-place finish and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the ninth time in 2008. Smith leads #77-Sam Hornish Jr. by four points (190-186) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the October 11 Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Smith has led the Raybestos Rookie standings for 13 consecutive races dating back to Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Only two Raybestos Rookies have scored top-five finishes in the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway since 1975: Ron Bouchard (fifth in 1981) and Jeff Gordon (fifth in 1993). Since 1975, only two Raybestos Rookies have won pole positions for the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (1993) and Ward Burton (1994). Kasey Kahne holds the record for most laps led by a Raybestos Rookie in the Bank of America 500 (since 1975). Kahne led the 2004 race four times for 207 of the 334 laps. The most Raybestos Rookies to lead a lap in the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway are two in 1979 and again in 1994. 1994, John Andretti led twice for 30 laps and Ward Burton led once for one lap. In 1979, Dale Earnhardt led three times for 55 laps while Harry Gant held the top spot once covering seven laps.(Camp & Assoc/Raybestos), with Carpentier’s released from the #10 GEM ride and McDowell not in the #00 car, only #01-Smith and #77-Hornish are racing each week for the award. See the rookie standings, history, past roty’s, more notes on the race at my 2008 Rookies Page.(10-8-2008)
