PROGRAMMING NOTE: I’m on assignment covering a race this weekend, so here’s the sophomore rankings a week earlier than usual.
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 and Brennan Poole) 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 coming out of the summer break heading into Daytona:
1. (tie) Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing). Best finish: 2nd (Homestead). PRETTY grade: A-. Tyler Reddick continues to impress—he’s reached the point where a 21st-place finish (at the Indy road course) is a disappointment and not a “good points day”. Here’s hoping he can make the Playoffs so we can avoid referring to the final ten weeks as “one big test session”.
1. (tie) Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing). Best finish: 1st (Daytona Road Course). PRETTY grade: A-. Considering how JGR hasn’t exactly been overpowering this year, AND Bell’s strong run as of late (sans Indy road course), its too close to call between him and Reddick. Still, I listed Reddick first because, well, he was first before…and I don’t feel like copy-pasting.
3. Cole Custer (Stewart Haas Racing). Best finish: 10th (Talladega/Dover). PRETTY grade: C-. Cole sits 28th in points—bad for anyone, but especially bad for someone racing for what is ostensibly a top-level team. I’d say his ride is in danger, but last I checked his dad still runs SHR.
4. Quin Houff (StarCom Racing). Best finish: 22nd (Indy Road Course). PRETTY grade: D-. We nearly had a breakthrough at Indy, with Quin poking around the top-twenty before finishing 22nd. Still, its better than somehow being two laps down at the start of the race.