Catchfence

2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year

Austin Dillon, 5th

Justin Lofton, 18th

Jennifer Jo Cobb, 21st

Brett Butler, 24th

UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings

Austin Dillon, 112

Justin Lofton, 96

Jennifer Jo Cobb, 80

Brett Butler, 79

Chris Eggleston, 24

Landon Cassill, 7

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE

AUSTIN DILLON IN THE No. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS CHEVROLET WAS THE TOP RAYBESTOS ROOKIE IN TODAY’S RACE AT MICHIGAN.

NOTES:

- Dillon scored a fifth-place finish, his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish in nine races this season. He scored back-to-back top-fives for the first time in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career (he placed third June 4 at Texas Motor Speedway).

- Dillon took top rookie honors for the fifth time this season and for the second consecutive race.

- UNOFFICIALLY Dillon leads Justin Lofton by 16 points (112-96) in the Raybestos Rookie standings.

- Dillon won the pole for today’s race at Michigan, his second in 11 career starts and his second consecutive. He became the first Raybestos Rookie to win consecutive pole position since Kurt Busch in 2000. A Raybestos Rookie has won the pole in each of the last two consecutive races at Michigan (Brian Ickler captured the top spot in 2009).

A Raybestos Rookie has now scored top-five finish in each of the last THREE CONSECUTIVE races at Michigan. Top-five finishes by Raybestos Rookies at Michigan (11 races):

2000: Kurt Busch, second

2003: Carl Edwards, fifth

2008: Scott Speed, third

2009: Brian Ickler, third

AUSTIN DILLON, No. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS CHEVROLET:

“It was great, just wished we could have finished off what we had in the beginning. Oh well, we’ll get it back. Just a little mistake and I was glad that we drove back to a top-five. I had to go get some right there when we started 16th. They know we’re here so it’s just a matter of time.”

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE STOP WHERE YOU WERE PENALIZED?

“I think the fuel can got out of the stall. I wasn’t speeding or nothing. It was just a mistake on us. We’ll get it back at the shop. We’ll come back harder than ever [smiles].”

THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE BEST TRUCK THAT YOU’VE HAD ALL YEAR BECAUSE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO WIN THE RACE.

“I think so. We had a great truck at Texas and a great truck this weekend. We build great trucks this year at RCR and ECR is putting great motors behind us. I just want to get ‘em that win.”

THIS FINISH TODAY WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU MADE UP GROUND IN THE POINTS CHASE.

“It definitely does. Like I said earlier we needed a top-five. I’m not disappointed at all. Before Texas I would have been happy with a top-10. Getting a top-three and leading just makes you want it that much more.”

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR EYE EARLIER IN THE RACE?

“Got a little sand in my eye but the air in my helmet hose blew it back out so I was good.”

COMMENT ON THAT LAST PIT STOP.

“You know we all make mistakes and it’s how we come back afterwards and we’re going to go back to the shop and get it back when we come back out here for Iowa. It’s one of my good tracks. They’ve done a good job putting great trucks under me all year, the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and ECR Engines, I can’t say enough about ‘em. It was cool running back up through there. Went four-wide, dicing and slicing and everything and it was good to get a top-five. Two weeks ago we were wanting a top-10 and now we’re getting top-fives so I’m excited.”

JUSTIN LOFTON, No. 7 VISITPIT.COM TOYOTA:

“It was real unfortunate for everyone. We had a great truck. We were out to lunch at the beginning of the race and after the sun came out it kind of kept coming to us, kept coming to us and we got racing. We were loose all day in one and two and just got loose and backed it in a little bit, just enough to give it a severe tire rub on the right front and ate up the tire and we had nothing left.”

BRETT BUTLER, No. 47 FUEL DOCTOR CHEVROLET:

“We were kind of struggling all day with the Fuel Doctor Chevy. Yesterday we needed to get the second practice but got rained out. Just struggled all day. We’ll get ‘em next time.”

DID THE RAIN SHOWER DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE TRACK OR THE WAY YOUR TRUCK HANDLED?

“No, we were pretty horrible all day so it didn’t really matter [laughs].”

DILLON PRESS CONFERENCE

“The Bass Pro Shops Chevy was really good early. Once we got out front after that first caution it was very good and then the rain came. I think it just got our truck way too tight. It washed the rubber off and like Todd [Bodine] said he got tight at the end and we got tight too. We could go for a few laps really hard but then just start having to lift a lot. All in all, a good day, just wish we could have minimized the mistakes there on pit road. It’s all right. We’ll come back stronger than ever next week.”

WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO DIFFERENT AFTER THE RAIN?

“My truck, it got real tight after the rain we had to adjust it. Just trying to learn from these guys. When Todd and Kyle [Busch] got to racing there it was a lot of fun. I had a great time today. Running up top, I actually didn’t think we’d get up that high and the track kind of played to that and got up there and ran pretty good. Just got way tight there after it.”

AFTER THE STOP AND GO YOU GOT TIRES FOR THAT LAST LITTLE RUN. DID THE FRESH TIRES MAKE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE TODAY?

“I think it helped a little. My spotter told me right before that, they had that quick caution, and he told me that [Elliott] Sadler had used the top and rolled right up there. I just stayed in the gas and pushed around the top there and got four-wide with [Mike] Skinner and that was a lot of fun down the frontstretch and got where I got to the lead pack and we ran good and was able to pick [Timothy] Peters off there the last lap.”

Raybestos® brand brake and chassis parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake and Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and chassis parts in the transportation industry. The brake line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, while the chassis line features tie rods, ball points, idler arms and sway bar links. Raybestos brand braking and chassis systems are also the only systems used by NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing in competition. For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com. For more information on Raybestos Chassis visit RaybestosChassis.com

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

* Affinia Group Inc.’s affiliated companies include Brake Parts Inc. WIX Filtration Corp LLC, Affinia Products Corp LLC and other high quality manufacturers of the Affinia family of brands.

- Camp & Associates, Inc. Press Release