Original: In the Cup Series, Hamlin won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the final Cup standings, scoring the highest points finish for a rookie in the modern era of NASCAR. Hamlin thus became the first ever rookie to make the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.
Simplified: In the Nextel Cup Series, Hamlin won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and finished third in the final standings.