ROOKIE TITLE FOR REUTIMANN Toyota's First NASCAR Season Trophy

The Waltrip Racing driver claimed the prize in style by taking his second pole position of the season with a lap record, and taking the Bud Pole Award at the Miami track.

"To win Raybestos of the Year rookie honors is big to me," he said. "We had a great class of rookies. I learned a lot this year driving the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota. We had races that could've gone better, and not finishing races got us. The upside is that I have more confidence in the truck, and the communication between the team is better than ever."

It hasn't been easy for Reutimann and the No. 17 NTN Bearings Tundra this year. A start-up team and a brand new manufacturer have contributed to a steep learning curve for all involved. But when the 34-year-old led seven laps in the season opener at Daytona and then won the Bud Pole Award in race 2 at Atlanta, it was clear that the combination was going to be something special.

Reutimann has never been first this season in the Rookie standings but has blamed himself for a couple of incidents rather than the team, on which he has consistently heaped praise. Despite not taking a race win in 2004, the team and driver will be a hard pairing to beat in 2005.