BUSCH: Nashville II: Raybestos Rookie preview

* Scott Riggs was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the MBNA 200 at Dover International Speedway. He finished 11th and took home top finishing rookie honors for the eighth time in 2002.

* Riggs maintains a comfortable lead in the Raybestos® Rookie Contender standings over Shane Hmiel. He leads Hmiel by 75 points (210-135) entering Saturday's Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.

* Riggs is second in Busch Series points, just 41 behind leader Jack Sprague. He leads his teammate Jason Keller by 14 and fourth place Randy LaJoie by 95 points.

* WOULD YOU BELIEVE? A Raybestos® Rookie Contender has won the pole in three of the last five Busch Series races where time trials were held.

* Hmiel has won two poles in the Busch Series this season, second in the Busch Series behind Jeff Green who has won three.

* Five Raybestos® Rookies started the race at Dover and three were running at the finish: Riggs, Kerry Earnhardt (15th), Kasey Kahne (20th), and Casey Mears (36th). Shane Hmiel was sidelined with engine failure and finished 33rd while an accident ended Johnny Sauter's day, leaving him with a 40th place finish.

* Riggs has led more miles than any other Raybestos® Rookie Contender. Entering Saturday's race at Dover, he has led seven times in six races (111 laps) for a total of 175.05 miles. The rest of the class: Hmiel (65.87), Sauter (50.62) and Mears (6.00).

* Three Raybestos® Rookies have won at least one pole position this season: Hmiel, Riggs, and Sauter.

* Entering the Nashville 300, four Raybestos® Rookies have started all 13 Busch Series races this season: Riggs, Hmiel, Mears, and Earnhardt.

* This is the first time the Busch Series has run two races in the same season at Nashville Superspeedway.

* Hmiel won the pole for the April race at Nashville and Riggs won the race, his first career win. Kerry Earnhardt posted his best career Busch Series finish that same day, collecting an eighth place finish.

<pre> RAYBESTOS ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER                  POINTS
Scott Riggs             210
Shane Hmiel             135
Johnny Sauter           127
Casey Mears             126
Kerry Earnhardt         125
Brian Vickers            59
Kasey Kahne              54
Dan Pardus               43

HIGHEST FINISHING RAYBESTOS ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT                           HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE
EAS/GNC Live Well 300           Shane Hmiel, fifth
1-866-RBCTerm.com 200           Scott Riggs, fourth
Sam's Town 300                  Johnny Sauter, third
DarlingtonRaceway.com 200       Johnny Sauter, 11th
Channellock 250                 Scott Riggs, ninth
O'Reilly 300                    Scott Riggs, fourth
Pepsi 300                       Scott Riggs, first
Aaron's 312                     Casey Mears, fifth
Auto Club 300                   Scott Riggs, first
Hardee's 250                    Brian Vickers, seventh
Busch 200                       Shane Hmiel, fourth
Stacker 2 200                   Scott Riggs, second
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300         Scott Riggs, third
MBNA 200                        Scott Riggs, 11th

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