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.
2000
Matt Kenseth
Winner: Matt Kenseth (Roush). Runners Up: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (DEI), Dave Blaney (Bill Davis), Scott Pruett (PPI), Stacy Compton (Melling), Ed Berrier (Donlavey), Mike Bliss (Eel River/Foyt). Aborted Attempts: Jeff Fuller
How their careers turned out: “In the yearrrr 2000…” we saw a crowded class with two stand-outs in Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Both acquitted themselves quite well, with Kenseth a champion and model of consistency, while Dale Jr. made us wonder if he could’ve won it all if DEI had been better-run. The rest mostly “witnesses to history”, such as Dave Blaney finishing third at Darlington to Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch, and Scott Pruett not being THAT Scott Pruitt, and Ed Berrier and Mike Bliss simply having funny-sounding names.
“Fun” “Fact” about the winner: Matt Kenseth’s early crew chief, Robbie Reiser, once complimented me on my Cal Ripken Jr. jersey.
Ranking: #9 out of 50
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