Spade Racing Presents The Sophomores: A Monthly Series

PRE-SEASON RANKINGS

Last year Spade Racing took a look at the six drivers competing for Rookie of the Year.  This year we continue to look at that vaunted class (sans John Hunter Nemechek) as they strive to establish themselves while avoiding the “sophomore slump”.  Returning for 2021 is the PRETTY grade: Performance Relative to Equating Team’s Typical Year (its pretty much how well each driver is doing considering their equipment).  Here’s how things look pre-season:

1. Cole Custer (Stewart Haas Racing). 2020 points finish: 16th.  PRETTY grade prediction: B+.  Cole Custer easily won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2020 on the back of his breakthrough race win and an otherwise solid season.  This year he’ll have to see if he beat out Chase Briscoe to be the #2 driver at SHR behind Kevin Harvick.  Oh, and there’s another guy there, Eric-something.

2. Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing).  2020 points finish: 20th.  PRETTY grade prediction: C+.  After a rough rookie year with a disintegrating Leavine Family Racing organization, C.Bell gets a massive upgrade in equipment by moving to JGR…albeit in the 20 car that’s struggled for years.  Personally I see this as being a possible break-out year for him, but then again I’m also the guy who thought that curly shoelaces were cool.

3. Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing).  2020 points finish: 19th.  PRETTY grade prediction: B+.  Reddick eked out ahead of Christopher Bell in the points last year, but while Bell moves onto a top-flight team, Reddick is stuck with RCR.  HOWEVER, RCR improved by leaps and bounds in 2020.  Here’s just hoping that he doesn’t lose his ride to Ty Dillon at some point.  Please.

4. Brennan Poole (Premium Motorsports).  2020 points finish: 31st.  PRETTY grade prediction: B+.  “The Bull” did the best with what he had in 2020, posting a top-ten finish at a plate race and falling just one race short of a full-season—all worth goals to surpass in 2021.  Plus he’ll get to tell people for years how he “beat Kyle Larson in the Cup Series points standings”.

5. Quin Houff (StarCom Racing).  2020 points finish: 32nd.  PRETTY grade prediction: D.  The lowest driver in the standings to attempt every single race.  Finishing behind several drivers who didn’t run the full season.  Sparking a debate about being relegated.  I’d like to say 2021 is a “nowhere to go but up season”, but unfortunately I think its more-likely that Quin just stays where he is.

(n/a) John Hunter Nemechek (n/a).  2020 points finish: 27th.  PRETTY grade prediction: (n/a).  John Hunter had a decent rookie year in lower-level equipment, but has decided to return to the Truck Series with KBM.  Good luck to him, and thanks for allowing Anthony Alfredo to be slaughtered in the Rookie of the Year race.