Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the June 20 Northern Tool.com 250 at The Milwaukee Mile. Darnell scored a fourth-place finish, equaling his best effort in six NASCAR Nationwide Series races. He claimed his second top-five and third top-10 in 2009 and captured top rookie honors for the second time in 2009. Darnell led twice for 19 laps and was the only Raybestos Rookie to lead a lap in the race.
Darnell won his first pole position at Milwaukee and joined Brendan Gaughan as the only Raybestos Rookie drivers to capture a pole this season.
At least one Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in the last 13 consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
Gaughan leads Justin Allgaier by five points (159-154) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the June 27 Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Two Raybestos Rookies are in the top-10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings: Gaughan (seventh) and Allgaier (eighth). The two are separated by just one point.
Dario Franchitti was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Camping World RV Sales 200, claiming a 13th-place finish.
Landon Cassill won the pole for the 2008 race at New Hampshire. Cassill joined Shane Hmiel (2002) as the only Raybestos Rookies to win a pole at the 1.058-mile speedway since the NASCAR Nationwide Series began competing at the track in 1990 (22 races). He joins Shane Hmiel, who captured the top starting spot in 2002.
The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie at New Hampshire is second by Steve Park in 1997. Park finished .106 seconds behind race winner Mike McLaughlin.
Only once in 19 previous June races at New Hampshire have two Raybestos Rookies finished inside the top-five at New Hampshire: Carl Edwards (second) and Denny Hamlin (third) in 2005.
(Raybestos/Camp & Assoc. PR)(6-23-2009)
