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Is the NASCAR “Rookie of the Year” Title Still Meaningful?

An Opinion



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March 16, 2012

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden




Quick, without looking:

Who was the 2011 Sprint Cup Series “Sunoco Rookie of the Year?”

How about 2010?

Do you know who is contending for the title this year?

If you’re a devoted NASCAR fan, but couldn’t easily answer these questions, you’re not alone. The vast majority of fans I informally queried could not answer them either.

Which begs the question that is the title of this article.

But first, the answers:

The 2011 Cup Series Rookie of the Year was Andy Lally.

He was also the only driver competing for the title last season.

In 2011, Lally ran 30 of 36 races and failed to qualify for three others. He only cracked the top 20 once (a 19th at Talladega), had four DNFs, and ended the year with an average finish of 30.8. Lally has not run a race so far in 2012.

In 2010, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series was Kevin Conway. He beat out one other contender, Terry Cook. Conway, who was 31 years old at the time, made 28 starts, nine of which ended with DNFs, and never cracked the top 25 in a race finish. Prior to 2010, he had raced part-time in the Nationwide Series, where he never led a lap. Cook, a veteran of the Truck Series, was 42 years old when he competed for the ‘rookie’ title, running three of 36 Cup races in the 2010 season. Conway has not competed so far in Cup in 2012; Cook’s last Cup race was in 2010.

The above is not meant to disparage any of the drivers or teams mentioned.

But, compared to “rookie” titles in other sports – or even previously in NASCAR – does being named Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series really mean much any more? Is it an impressive or prestigious title when only one driver is in contention – or two drivers running part-time schedules who struggle to qualify and finish races?

It has not always been this way. Since 2000, a number of drivers who have become Cup stars began their careers with ROTY titles, including Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Winners prior to 2000 include NASCAR Hall-of-Famers Richard Petty (1959), David Pearson (1960), and Dale Earnhardt (1979).

In the past five years, however, only two of 17 contenders for Rookie of the Year have been able to secure a Cup victory during their rookie season: Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007 and Joey Logano in 2009. Montoya, while a rookie in the Cup series, was already a seasoned racer with numerous open wheel wins and titles; his rookie victory came on the road course in Sonoma. Logano’s win was largely the result of strategy related to a rain delay.

Again, this is not to say that the either driver is unskilled or unworthy of his ROTY title.

But the bigger issue is whether the title itself is still significant in an increasingly competitive series - where rookie drivers are unlikely to compete for wins or compile any significant stats, unless they are with one of a few elite, powerhouse teams.

Or so it appears based on recent history.

This year, Josh Wise and Timmy Hill are the only drivers competing for the 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year title in the Cup Series. It’s unclear whether either will be competing in all 36 races, but, as has been the recent trend, neither is driving for a top-tier team.

So, I would like to hear from you: Does the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award need to be revised or restructured? And if so, how would you change it?

Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @nscrwriter




You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News



You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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