Join me as we take a look at every NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year class from 1972 (the start of the modern era) through 2021, going from the worst to the first in terms of overall careers of each year’s rookie class.
1984
Rusty Wallace's rookie car
Winner: Rusty Wallace (Cliff Stewart). Runners Up: Greg Sacks (Sacks), Phil Parsons (Johnny Hayes), Clark Dwyer (Irv Sanderson). Aborted Attempts: none
How their careers turned out: Rusty’s off-track exploits (water bottles, “hot rod”s, etc.) have overshadowed an incredibly impressive career, not only winning the 1989 Cup championship but also having one of the greatest mullets in the sport’s history. Both Greg Sacks and Phil Parsons posted upset wins in Cup, but never really got a decent shot in truly top-flight equipment. Clark Dwyer, meanwhile, was out of the sport shortly after his rookie season.
“Fun” “Fact” about the winner: Though he’d never admit to it, sometimes them cats out there AREN’T flat out flyin’.
Ranking: #14 out of 50
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