Spade Racing: July 2018

Potential Sponsors for Jimmie Johnson

As you’ve no doubt heard, seven-time Nascar Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is losing Lowe’s—the only sponsor he’s ever had at the Cup level—at the end of this season. While Hendrick Motorsports is surely working overtime to fill the 48 car’s 36 race sponsorship inventory, here’s a few suggestions for who they should go after:

This space for rent

—Oatmeal—healthy, steady, and bland—just like ol’ 7-time himself

—Beard Care—preferably whatever dye Jimmie uses to make it look like he doesn’t dye his beard

—Styrofoam Manufacturers—because him crashing into the foam blocks at Watkins Glen is STILL his most-famous highlight

—Parker Store, Checker Cab Company, or University of Iowa—that way they can retain the black-and-yellow look

—Big Daddy’s BBQ Sauce—just kidding

—Seagrams 7 Whiskey—but they might want to have Super 8 on retainer in case Jimmie rebounds

Fan of Series with “Push-to-Pass” Accuses Nascar of Being Too Gimmicky

Although far from its glory days of the early-90’s, IndyCar maintains a loyal fanbase in the United States. However, some of these fans, rather than enjoying multiple forms of racing, decry what is perceived as “manufactured drama” in the country’s most-popular racing series, Nascar. One such fan is Mark Brian, who has steadfastly refused to support Nascar in any way, instead preferring IndyCar racing with its “Push-to-Pass” aspect as a “purer form of racing”.

“IndyCar racing is just more real”, Brian said from his home in suburban Chicago. “There’s no playoffs, no stage racing, and certainly no media manufacturing hype like you see in ‘Taxi-Cab Racing’ down south. Instead, its just man, machine, and a button that adds extra horsepower for certain race tracks. Now THAT’S real racing.”

Brian, who has followed IndyCar racing most of his life, is a veteran of the so-called “Open Wheel Civil War” that divided the sport between the oval-centric IRL and the road-course-based CART in the late-90’s. Despite the damage the divide did to the highest levels of open-wheel racing in the USA, Brian was never swayed to follow the more-successful and accessible stock car series.

“What do they have, 36 points races now?” Brian scoffed. “Even when IndyCar was split down the middle, I don’t think we had that many races. There’s just something about the idea of putting the cars on the grid, letting them race, and see who comes in first place without any cheesy crap getting in the way that really resonates with me. For people like me, its pedal to the metal and nothing else—well, except for occasionally pressing a button as well.”

Brian, who regularly takes to social media to bash Nascar fans as “hillbillies” and “fake racing enthusiasts”, has remained unwavering in his support of the less-popular IndyCar style of racing, which he insists is a purer form of racing that is on its way back to the top.

“IndyCar was there before Nascar, and it’ll be there after Nascar too—mark my words”, Brian insisted. “It would take a LOT from Nascar to get me to watch their events—maybe drop the Chase, or playoffs, or whatever its called. Maybe have them race to the finish, not have breaks in between. And maybe add a button to provide extra horsepower once in a while. Until then, its just IndyCar for me, although I do catch F1 once in a while—DRS is really something.”

Nascar Pick Challenge: Uncle Max vs. Mystery Picker—PIP (Pocono, Iowa, Pocono)

OK, I’m just gonna ask it—who exactly is “Mystery Picker”?

I mean, I can’t make heads or tails of their picks this year. Really—Alex Bowman? When you can pick anybody else, you pick ALEX BOWMAN? In a Chevy?!? Who the heck can it be? My nephew Mike has refused to tell me who it is, so who’s YOUR guess, dear readers? Some sort of Nascar insider? A gambling expert from overseas? My ex-wife? Give me some of YOUR ideas, because I’m fresh out of them.

Truck Series Gander Outdoors 150 (3 wins)—Johnny Sauter—old reliable comes through in the mountains.

Xfinity Series US Cellular 250 (3 wins)—Elliott Sadler—another old reliable comes through on the plains.

Cup Series Gander Outdoors 400—MYSTERY PICKER (4 wins) PICKS Alex Bowman. Favorite (3 wins): Kyle Busch—rebound weekend! Next Favorite (3 wins): Denny Hamlin—time to remind people that there’s more than just Rowdy at JGR. Dark Horse: Aric Almirola—A2 finally breaks through.

Rated Rookie: Ranking Nascar Cup’s All-Time Rookies of the Year--Part 4

Click Here for Part 3

"Rookie of the Year”. Its a term that can portend future success—or flash in the pan. Sometimes its a fierce

battle between several talented drivers—sometimes a walk-over by a single person. So looking back, how have the overall careers of Nascar Cup’s various Rookies of the Year stacked up against each other?

That’s where I come in!

While a “Rookie of the Year” award has been given out in Nascar Cup since 1954, its only since 1974 that some sort of points system was implemented—prior to this it was merely agreed upon by “the media”. So we’re going to only count ROTY award winners from 1974 onward. Also, the previous three Rookies of the Year (Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, and Brett Moffitt) are not going to be considered since their careers are so young. Drivers will only be judged on what they did in the Cup Series, with added weight toward “major” races and season championships.

Now, on with the rankings!

(*—active in Cup; win totals through Chicago 2018)

31. Earl Ross (1974)—1 Cup win. Best-known as the only Canadian driver to post a Cup Series win, Ross had a brief Nascar career before returning north to compete in lower regional series. Despite winning by a lap at Martinsville in his ROTY season, Ross only competed in 25 other Cup Series races before leaving it behind.

32. Kenny Irwin (1998) A USAC sprint car star, Irwin was one of a number of drivers tabbed as “The Next Jeff Gordon” upon ascending to Cup Series competition. After a promising partial schedule in 1997, Irwin ran the full 1998 and 1999 seasons for Robert Yates, winning the Rookie of the Year award in the process. Though Irwin showed flashes of talent, he was released by Yates and signed with Felix Sabates for 2000, where he would tragically die mid-season in a crash.

33. Ronnie Thomas (1978) After edging out Roger Hamby for the ROTY award Thomas (son of fellow driver Jabe Thomas) would go on to a mostly pedestrian career. Thomas’s best overall points finish was 14th in 1980, and he would leave the Cup Series after running a single race in 1989.

34. Bruce Hill (1975) The Kansan independent (usually running his own equipment) ran nearly the whole schedule only twice in his 100 Cup race career, including his ROTY season. After retiring, he returned to Kansas, raising quarter horses in the Topeka area.

35. Skip Manning (1976) Manning competed in only 79 Cup Series races in his Nascar career. While his best Nascar Cup race finish was a third at Talladega, he’s probably better-known in racing circles for his exploits in super-modified cars.

36. Jimmy Hensley (1992) Hensley won the 1992 ROTY award—despite missing the first seven races of the year—mostly due to no other racers attempting anything near a full schedule. Failing to win in 98 Cup Series starts, he fared better in Nascar’s other touring series, posting nine wins in the Xfinity Series and two in the Truck Series.

37. Rob Moroso (1990) After winning the 1990 Busch (now Xfinity) Series championship, Moroso and his family-owned team moved to Cup for 1990. 25 races into his rookie year, however, Moroso was killed in a drunk driving accident. Moroso would make tragic history, becoming the only driver to win the Rookie of the Year award posthumously.

38. Ken Bouchard (1988) Ken Bouchard (brother of Ron) had one of the shortest careers of any ROTY in Nascar Cup history, making only 33 starts in Nascar’s premiere series over his brief career. Outside of his Rookie of the Year title, Bouchard is likely better-known for his exploits in modified racing.

39. Andy Lally (2011) The road racing ace Lally made all 38 of his Cup Series starts for TRG Motorsports, a team best-known for its road racing prowess. In his rookie year Lally ran unopposed for ROTY honors after no other drivers made the minimum number of starts (Trevor Bayne won that year’s Daytona 500 in his second-ever Cup start, but didn’t declare as a Cup rookie). Never posting a single top-ten, Lally has since gone back to road racing.

40. Kevin Conway (2010) Despite racing for two different team owners in five different cars, Kevin Conway clinched the ROTY award early on in the season by virtue of being the only driver to declare for the award and run the minimum races. Essentially gone from the Cup Series after this single year due to sponsorship payment issues, Conway’s best Cup finish was a 14th in the summer Daytona race. Conway finished in last place in three plate races the following year and ended his Cup career after 31 total starts.

41. Stephen Leicht (2012) A former developmental driver for Robert Yates and RCR, Leicht only competed in 15 races in 2012 for the underfunded Joe Falk team, but still managed to “win” the ROTY award over Josh Wise. Leicht only made three other starts in his Cup career, and continues to drive in the Xfinity Series part-time.

Loudon, New Hampshire vs. Las Vegas, Nevada—a Spade Racing Tale ‘O The Tape

Today was Nascar’s only visit of the year to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as their customary second date has been relocated by owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. So what does Las Vegas have that Loudon doesn’t? Well, let’s see:

POPULATION

Las Vegas: 648,224 (est.)

Loudon: 5,317 (est.)

FOUNDED BY

Las Vegas: various groups of pioneers, land speculators, and businesspeople

Loudon: Gov. John Wentworth (no, not the 877-Cash-Now guy)

FAMOUS NATIVES

Las Vegas: Andre Agassi, Bryce Harper, Jenna Jameson, Kurt & Kyle Busch

Loudon: fans of all the above (especially the third one)

NICKNAMES

Las Vegas: Sin City, Gambling/Entertainment Capital of the World, Silver City, America’s Playground

Loudon: That Place with the Race Track

DEMOGRAPHICS

Las Vegas: a mix of peoples of various nationalities, ethnicities, and backgrounds, centered on caucasians and hispanics

Loudon: whiter than the flag for the final lap

SPORTS TEAMS

Las Vegas: Vegas Golden Knights hockey franchise, who went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018

Loudon: Loudon Elementary School Pride, who had a very fun field day a few weeks ago

Nascar Pick Challenge: Uncle Max vs. Mystery Picker—New Hampshire

You know, I like to think that I’m a pretty tough guy who can handle much of anything. But one thing I can’t handle for sure is heat—especially heat at work.

Its bad enough that it seems like the building is losing power now about once every-other-week. Its even worse to work there, let it get up to about 90-something with no air movement, and THEN when the power DOES come back on, it can’t get below 80-ish until the sun goes down. Its times like this that I start to think about going back to night-shift, but then I remember how hard it is to watch stuff on video delay.

Xfinity Series Lakes Region 200 (2 wins)—Brad Keselowski—followed by post-race interviews addressing every reporter by their first name.

Cup Series Foxwoods 301—MYSTERY PICKER (4 wins) PICKS Kurt Busch. Favorite (3 wins): Martin Truex Jr.—two in a row, AND its at one of his home tracks. Next Favorite (2 wins): Kevin Harvick—good enough time as any to get a lobster. Dark Horse: Chase Elliott—Chase (and Chevy) finally break through.

Rated Rookie: Ranking Nascar Cup’s All-Time Rookies of the Year--Part 3

Click Here for Part 2

"Rookie of the Year”. Its a term that can portend future success—or flash in the pan. Sometimes its a fierce

That’s where I come in!

Now, on with the rankings!

(*—active in Cup; win totals through Chicago 2018)

21. Bobby Hamilton (1991)—4 Cup wins. After making a splash driving “movie cars” for the filming of Days of Thunder, Bobby Hamilton Sr. landed a full-time ride with Tri-Star Motorsports, winning 1991’s ROTY honors award over Ted Musgrave. Hamilton would go on to win four Cup Series races before moving to the Truck Series, where he would win the 2004 season championship in his own equipment.

22. Ricky Craven (1995)—2 Cup wins. Upon winning the 1995 ROTY award, the New Englander would appear to have his career stymied by injuries, specifically post-concussion syndrome. However, Craven would mount a comeback, posting a pair of wins for mid-level PPI Racing late in his career. Craven has since transitioned to a media commentator role with ESPN.

23. Juan Pablo Montoya (2007)—2 Cup wins. A rookie unlike any other, Montoya came to Nascar a seasoned veteran of multiple open-wheel series. In his ROTY-award winning 2007 season Montoya showed his prowess on road courses, winning at Sonoma. Although he would show signs of oval talent—infamously nearly winning at the Brickyard before a pit road penalty ruined his day—he would wind up with only two Cup wins, the second coming at Nascar’s other road course, Watkins Glen.

24. *Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2013)—2 Cup wins. After championship success in the Xfinity Series, Stenhouse Jr. was moved up to Cup by team owner Jack Roush, taking over the 17 car from Matt Kenseth. Despite an up-and-down rookie campaign he managed to beat out girlfriend Danica Patrick for the ROTY award. After a sophomore slump, Stenhouse Jr. has established himself as the lead driver for RoushFenway, posting a pair of Cup victories so far.

25. Johnny Benson (1996)—1 Cup win. In between Busch (now Xfinity) and Truck Series championships the bespectacled Benson had a journeyman’s Cup career, one that started with “winning” the Rookie of the Year award in 1996 as the lone driver to declare for the award. Ironically it was in one of his most-volatile seasons, 2002, in which he captured his lone Cup Series win, battling missing a number of races with injuries before finally winning at Rockingham.

26. Regan Smith (2008)—1 Cup win. Regan Smith won the 2008 ROTY award under strange circumstances—he ran that year for a fading DEI team with little sponsorship but, despite missing both road course races in favor of a ringer, managed to beat out the wildly inconsistent Sam Hornish Jr. Smith became something of a journeyman at the Cup level, his career highlight being scoring Furniture Row Racing’s first-ever win at Darlington in 2011. After a successful stint in the Xfinity Series, he seems to have transitioned to a full-time media role.

27. Mike Skinner (1997) The winner of the first race AND championship in the Truck Series, Skinner was also one of the first Truck Series drivers to advance to the Cup Series, doing so with RCR in 1997. Winning ROTY honors in 1997 was arguably the highlight of his Cup career, as after a solid if not spectacular run with RCR, Skinner raced mostly for mid-to-low-level equipment in Cup before returning to the Truck Series.

28. Jody Ridley (1980)—1 Cup win. Ridley only ran the full-schedule three times but definitely made the most of them—in 1980 he won the ROTY award, and in 1981 he became the only driver to notch a win for longtime team owner Junie Donlavey. Gone from Cup Series racing after 1986, Donlavey would go on to dominate the Nascar Slim Jim All Pro regional series.

29. Ron Bouchard (1981)—1 Cup win. Despite missing a number of races (including the first five), Ron Bouchard (brother of Ken) was Rookie of the Year for 1981 on the strength of his stunning upset win at Talladega. The surprise nature of the win, combining with the relative success of such other rookies that year (including Tim Richmond, Joe Ruttman, and Morgan Shepherd) belie a successful racing career in which he scored 60 Cup Series top-tens—all coming after having made a name for himself on the Northeastern short tracks.

30. Dick Trickle (1989) Famous for his innumerable short-track wins across the Midwest, Dick Trickle came to Nascar Cup full-time in 1989. Despite missing the Daytona 500, Trickle would post the best season of his Cup career that year, posting six top-five finishes for Stavola Brothers Racing. Afterwards Trickle would manage a yeoman’s career in mostly underfunded equipment, showing solid results but never reaching the heights of his rookie run.

A Guide to the Many Home Tracks of Martin Truex Jr. (Plus a BONUS Pick)

Editor's note: Due to that pesky little thing called "Real Life", there'll be no post-race "Burnout" article this weekend. Instead, enjoy this handy guide. ALSO, Uncle Max has said he's picking Ryan Newman for the mid-week Eldora Truck Series race.

Dover—closest track to his birthplace on the Jersey Shore

Pocono—closest track to his birthplace on the Jersey Shore by driving distance (Truexes never take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry)

Hometown Hero

Watkins Glen—first time at a race was in the mud bog (literally—he got thrown in by some Jimmy Spencer fans)

New Hampshire—its in a state with “New” in the name, just like New Jersey

Richmond—closest asphalt oval track to his birthplace on the Jersey Shore

Martinsville—hey, its got his name in it! (Note: may be replaced if the proposed track in Truexopolis, Oregon ever gets built)

Charlotte—home track of his former teams, DEI and MWR, both of which went OUT OF BUSINESS without him, so there

Darlington—the future birthplace of his Dick Passwater tribute paint scheme

Bristol—Bass Pro Shops sponsors the night race there, don’t they?

Atlanta—Bass Pro Shops used to sponsor the race there, didn’t they?

Daytona—birthplace of Nascar (come on, isn’t that good enough?

Homestead—has a nuclear power plant nearby, just like his birthplace on the Jersey Shore

Kentucky—race is sponsored by Quaker State, which is named for Pennsylvania, neighbor of his home state of New Jersey

Talladega—let’s just chalk it up to a kiddie pool, a case of reasonably-priced beer, and a package of factory-second Nilla wafers

Indianapolis—just always liked the place, even after he discovered that the “Clabber Girl” wasn’t a real person

Chicagoland—Chicago is mob-controlled, just like his birthplace on the Jersey Shore

Michigan—in Brooklyn, just like the borough of Brooklyn, which is near his birthplace on the Jersey Shore

Kansas—really quick McDonalds nearby

Texas—nothing prepares you mentally for the drain of a 500 mile race like trying to promote foreign cars in The Lone State State

Las Vegas—closest track to Furniture Row Racing

Phoenix—closest track to the closest track to Furniture Row Racing

California—home track for Toyota

Sonoma—closest track to his birthplace on the Jersey Shore if you go in the opposite direction around the globe

Nascar Pick Challenge: Uncle Max vs. Mystery Picker—Kentucky

In honor of this Tripleheader Weekend, here’s some advice from Uncle Max on how to handle things at work when you can’t get a day off for far too long:

Make sure your supervisors know of your sacrifice for the company. Whether its making sure you push the merchandise past him every chance you get, or checking in her office to let her know you’re working even though you technically don’t have to be, make your presence known.

Cut out any outside interference. This doesn’t mean don’t have a life—it just means to make sure all your bills are paid, your pets are taken care of, and your meals are ready in advance (in fact, chicken tacos taste better once they’ve marinated in the fridge for a week).

Take time for yourself. Even if you don’t smoke, take a minute or two every hour to stay in contact with the outside world, but try to avoid stressful situations, like trying to engineer a nine-player, three-team fantasy baseball trade.

Have an outlet. We all get a little angry, especially when we’re working. So make sure you have a pillow to punch, a car to scream in, or a light tube to bash against a dumpster when your World Cup picks fall apart.

Truck Series Buckle Up 225 (3 wins)—Justin Haley—pretty nice consolation prize after last weekend’s screw-up.

Xfinity Series ALSCO 300 (2 wins)—Kyle Busch—because of course.

Cup Series Quaker State 400—MYSTERY PICKER (4 wins) PICKS Ryan Blaney. Favorite (2 wins): Martin Truex Jr.—the master of the intermediates wins out over Mystery’s reach. Next Favorite (2 wins): Kyle Busch—2nd straight win for JGR comes in a walkover. Dark Horse: Ryan Newman—gas mileage in effect!

Rated Rookie: Ranking Nascar Cup’s All-Time Rookies of the Year--Part 2

CLICK HERE FOR PART 1

"Rookie of the Year”. Its a term that can portend future success—or flash in the pan. Sometimes its a fierce battle between several talented drivers—sometimes a walk-over by a single person. So looking back, how have the overall careers of Nascar Cup’s various Rookies of the Year stacked up against each other?

That’s where I come in!

Now, on with the rankings!

(*—active in Cup; win totals through Chicago 2018)

11. Ricky Rudd (1977)—23 Cup wins. “The Rooster” beat out a thin crowd for his Rookie of the Year award, but that was just a preview of the success he’d find in his Cup Series career. One of the greatest drivers to never win a championship, Rudd’s biggest Cup Series win was likely the 1997 Brickyard 400, which he won driving his own equipment.

12. *Joey Logano (2009)—19 Cup wins. It would be hard to find anyone who came into Nascar with expectations as high as Joey “Sliced Bread” Logano in 2009. Logano would enter the history books as the youngest-ever driver to win a Cup Series race during his rookie year for Joe Gibbs Racing, easily winning the ROTY honors over Scott Speed. After a lull in his career, Logano would see his fortunes revitalized after moving over to Team Penske, including winning the 2015 Daytona 500.

13. Geoff Bodine (1982)—18 Cup wins. After setting the Modified racing world on fire, Bodine came south and got his first major shot in Cup with Cliff Stewart. After winning the ROTY award, Bodine would see his greatest success with Hendrick Motorsports, posting his biggest career win in the 1986 Daytona 500. Bodine’s greater racing career included winning the IROC championship in 1987, six Xfinity Series wins, and a key role in the Winter Olympics as the co-founder of Bo-Dyn Bobsleds.

14. Jeff Burton (1994)—19 Cup wins. “The Mayor” beat out a crowded field (including future race winners Joe Nemechek, John Andretti, Jeremy Mayfield, and brother Ward) to win the 1994 ROTY award for the Stavola Brothers. In 1996 Jeff Burton would move to Roush Racing and, combined with his later run with RCR, would become one of the most consistently successful drivers of his time, including four straight top-five Cup Series points finishes.

15. *Ryan Newman (2002)—18 Cup wins. After developing his career in a variety of lower series, Roger Penske brought Newman up to Cup in 2002. Newman didn’t disappoint, posting a rookie-record six pole positions and scoring wins both points-paying (New Hampshire) and non (the All-Star race). Somewhat controversially, Newman was named Rookie of the Year despite having less wins than future legend Jimmie Johnson, with consistency winning out. Newman has gone on to successful runs with Stewart-Haas Racing and RCR and remains a race win contender.

16. *Kasey Kahne (2004)—18 Cup wins. The popular young driver beat out a crowded field in 2004 to claim 2004’s ROTY honors for Evernham Racing, soon becoming the team’s lead driver. However, the departure of Dodge from the sport, coupled with the collapse of new owner George Gillett’s finances, saw Kahne’s career derailed, only for a comeback to occur upon signing with Hendrick Motorsports. Despite winning his first “major” in 2017 at the Brickyard, Kahne was transferred to the backmarker LFR team in 2018.

17. Sterling Marlin (1983)—10 Cup wins. Marlin won his ROTY award in a relatively thin year despite posting only a single top-10. Although Marlin would not notch his first Cup Series win until 1994, he made it count, winning the Daytona 500—then repeating the feat the following year. Later, Marlin would go on to help lead Dodge’s return to Nascar’s Cup Series, winning the make’s first race in its return, then contending for the 2002 series championship.

18. *Jamie McMurray (2003)—7 Cup wins. Jamie Mac had an auspicious debut—already planning to debut full-time in 2003, he was named a substitute for an injured Sterling Marlin late in 2002, stunning the Nascar world with a win in just his second Cup start. Although he’d win the 2003 ROTY award over Greg Biffle and teammate Casey Mears, it would take until 2007 (and a move from Ganassi to RoushFenway) for McMurray to visit victory lane again. Since then he has returned to the Ganassi team, notably winning the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.

19. *Kyle Larson (2014)—5 Cup wins. Coming to Cup with a number of lower-series wins to his name—particularly in sprint cars—Larson beat out a crowded field, most-notably Austin Dillon, for the 2014 ROTY award. Since then he’s gone on to become one of Nascar’s brightest young stars for team owner Chip Ganassi, with five Cup Series wins to his name so far.

20. Ken Schrader (1985)—4 Cup wins. Arguably best-known for his versatile racing style and willingness to compete in almost any type of motorsport, Schrader won the 1985 ROTY honors on the strength of three tenth-place finishes. Schrader’s greatest successes would come upon leaving Donlavey Racing for Hendrick Motorsports, posting four career Cup wins and three consecutive Daytona 500 pole awards.

Scott Pruett Tired of Being Harassed

Recently-retired road racing ace Scott Pruett revealed today in an exclusive interview with Spade Racing that his life has been turned upside down, mostly due to the similarity in his name to recently-retired EPA head Scott Pruitt.

“I saw that clip online of that woman confronting the other Pruitt in a restaurant in DC—well that’s nothing compared to what I went through”, Pruett explained. “I can’t tell you how many tire tests I’ve been to where I’ve had to deal with protesters trying to scale the fences of the tracks. Not to mention the fact that I’ve had to remind people on Twitter pretty much daily how our names are different, we look nothing alike, and that I’ve never bought tactical pants.”

Pruett made his mark in endurance racing, posting wins in such prestigious races as the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 24 Hours of Daytona. However, he is now better-known to the general public—erroneously so—as being the embattled former head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Sonoma was Hell for me”, Pruett explained, referring to his experience as the grand marshall for the recent Nascar race in Sears Point, California. “People were screaming at me the whole time, throwing garbage at the pace car, and blaming me for ruining the environment. Sure, I drive a race car—not the most energy-efficient method to make one’s living—but this is taking it way too far. Then I remembered that some people are simply angry about the state of the country, and are looking to take it out on a guy they think is in charge. Well the NAME IS SPELLED DIFFERENTLY, people.”

Pruett joins a long line of other Nascar drivers who are frequently mistaken for others—Jimmie Johnson (with former football coach Jimmy Johnson) and Ryan Newman (with actress Ryan Newman) being just two of them. However, the vitriol directed at Pruett over the past year or so appears to be some of the worst the sport has ever seen.

“Just last week I had someone smear my daily driver with Tide liquid detergent”, Pruett lamented. “Of course, Ricky Rudd fans have been doing that to me for YEARS, so maybe that one was warranted.”

Nascar Pick Challenge: Uncle Max vs. Mystery Picker—Daytona

Well, it SHOULD be good to be back, but unfortunately Murphy’s Law seems to be in effect for me. First I come back to a disaster at work—it seems that you can have a college degree and STILL not know how to properly do an inventory check. Then on one of the hottest days of the year, the power goes out all through town! Nothing quite like working in 95 degree heat, then coming home to 90 degree heat. And then just when the power comes back ON, you find out you’ll be working on the Fourth of July. I have to tell you, its not a very fun start to the month of July for me.

Xfinity Series Firecracker 250 (2 wins)—Tyler Reddick—TR goes back-to-back at Daytona.

Cup Series Overtons 400—MYSTERY PICKER (4 wins) PICKS Paul Menard. Favorite (2 wins): Kyle Larson—redemption for KLar and myself. Next Favorite (2 wins): Jimmie Johnson—because this is about the only place Chevy CAN win. Dark Horse: Michael McDowell—ya gotta go REAL dark at Daytona!

Rated Rookie: Ranking Nascar Cup’s All-Time Rookies of the Year--Part 1

That’s where I come in!

Now, on with the rankings!

(*—active in Cup; win totals through Chicago 2018)

1. Dale Earnhardt (1979)—76 Cup wins, 7 Cup championships. Dale Earnhardt Sr. never had anything easy coming up, and his rookie year was no exception, as he had to beat out future stars Terry Labonte and Harry Gant for the ROTY honors. The following year the future “Intimidator” would go on to win the first of his record-tying seven Cup Series championships and would wind up as arguably the greatest driver in Nascar history.

2. Jeff Gordon (1993)—93 Cup wins, 4 championships. After beating out future Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte for Rookie of the Year honors, Gordon would go on to post his first-ever Cup win the following year. While his career is filled with accomplishments—three Daytona 500 wins, five Brickyard 400 wins, six Southern 500 wins, and three World 600 wins, just to list the “majors”—arguably his biggest impact has been off the track, helping Nascar to transition from a regional Southern sport into a national phenomenon.

3. Tony Stewart (1999)—49 Cup wins, 3 championships. Coming into Nascar with plenty of sprint car and Indy Racing League experience, “Smoke” posted a trio of late-season wins in his rookie campaign, running away with the ROTY award in the process. That season served as a launching pad for one of the most-successful racing careers of the modern era, one that Stewart would punctuate with three Cup Series championships.

4. Rusty Wallace (1984)—55 Cup wins, 1 Cup championship. After an auspicious start to his Cup career with a runner-up finish at Atlanta in 1980, Wallace won the Rookie of the Year award in his first full-season in 1984. Soon after Wallace would sign with Raymond Beadle’s race team, winning the 1989 Cup championship, then signing with Roger Penske (who, ironically, served as his car owner for his first race) in 1991. Still winning races late into his career, Wallace retired as one of the most-successful drivers of the modern-era.

5. *Kyle Busch (2005)—47 Cup wins, 1 championship. Though controversial for his brash persona and domination of Nascar’s lower series, you can’t say that Rowdy’s career has ever been boring. Busch won two Cup races in his rookie campaign for Hendrick Motorsports, winning the ROTY award easily over closest competitor Travis Kvapil. Since then he has gone on to win at every level of Nascar at almost every track, capping things off with the 2015 Cup Series championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.

6. *Kevin Harvick (2001)—42 Cup wins, 1 championship. Harvick was originally planned to make his ROTY run in 2002, but the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the 2001 Daytona 500 forced his promotion to the Cup Series a year early. Harvick had a sparkling rookie year, winning twice and beating out future Cup champion Kurt Busch for the award (despite missing a race). Since then Harvick has gone on to a fantastic career, winning numerous major races and the 2014 Cup Series championship.

7. *Matt Kenseth (2000)—39 Cup wins, 1 championship. Kenseth entered full-time Cup competition in one of the biggest Rookie of the Year battles in memory, beating out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the 2000 award. Kenseth would go on to become a star in the Cup Series, posting wins for Roush Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, reaching the sports’ pinnacle in 2003 with a series championship. He recently returned to now-RoushFenway Racing for a part-time schedule.

8. Alan Kulwicki (1986)—5 Cup wins, 1 Cup championship. Despite having to switch to running his own equipment mid-year and missing six races, Kulwicki was still named Rookie of the Year over the full-season efforts of future Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip. The fiercely-independent Kulwicki would pull off one of the major upsets in Nascar history by winning the 1992 Cup championship as an owner-driver, only to perish in a plane crash the following year.

9. Davey Allison (1987)—19 Cup wins. Davey Allison’s rookie season was the stuff of legend, winning twice and starting on the front row in the prestigious Daytona 500. Allison would go on to win such “majors” as the Daytona 500, World 600, two All-Star races, and nearly captured the 1992 series championship. Tragically his career was cut short in a helicopter crash in 1993.

10. *Denny Hamlin (2006)—31 Cup wins. Starting out as a substitute for the fired Jason Leffler the previous year, Denny’s Cup career started out like wildfire, winning the Rookie of the Year award on the back of a season sweep at Pocono and a record-high third-place championship points finish. Hamlin has gone on to win a number of “majors” and post a number of close championship finishes, arguably becoming the greatest driver in Cup to not win a season championship.

Next Week: Positions 11-20

Nascar Announces Plan to Tout Shrinking Fanbase as "Extremely Exclusive Club"

Having dealt with sinking television ratings and plummeting attendance numbers for several years, Nascar has attempted to deal with the problems in a number of controversial ways—introducing a playoff system, the introduction of stage racing, and more. However, in an apparent pivot away from such “gimmicks”, Nascar has stated that starting next weekend, a new marketing initiative will promote the sport’s dwindling popularity as an “exclusive opportunity” for fans.

“Everyone wants to get into an exclusive club—well, what’s become a more-exclusive club than the ranks of the Nascar fan?”, Nascar chairman Brian France said from his Daytona Beach offices. “Anybody can be a pro football or baseball fan, but only a select few can be a Nascar fan, and the time is now to join in on this exclusive opportunity.”

Nascar will roll out the new marketing program starting with Saturday Night’s race, airing a number of commercials promoting the sport’s select clientele of remaining fans.

“One commercial shows a really high-end club in Manhattan—and boy do I know about those—with only about a dozen or so people inside”, France said while standing next to a “The Few, The Proud, The Racefans” sign. “We then fade to black and these words appear: ‘Less people than the most exclusive cocktail parties in New York—a Nascar race.’ Now who wouldn’t want to join a club that is THAT exclusive?!?”

Commercials will also air during a number of other sporting events, including one that shows a person being crowded at a Major League Baseball stadium, then lounging in comfort at a race.

“Not just anybody can be a race fan, and we’re finally playing up that fact for the first time”, France said proudly. “We’re the not-so-secret society, the platinum club of platinum clubs, the 1% of the 1%. So join now, while you still can.”

France went on to point out how such future innovations as mid-week Cup races will do even more to narrow down the fan base’s “exclusivity”.

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