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.
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| Erik Jones |
Winner: Erik Jones (Furniture Row). Runners Up: Daniel Suárez (JGR), Ty Dillon (Germain), Corey LaJoie (GoFAS), Gray Gaulding (BK). Aborted Attempts: none
How their careers turned out: Strangely, this year turned out a class of journeymen. While Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez have had decent careers for several teams, Corey LaJoie has never really gotten a full-time shot in decent equipment. Meanwhile, Gray Gaulding is still best known for his Krispy Kreme sponsorship, and Ty Dillon has kept getting jobs despite, well, his whole career.
“Fun” “Fact” about the winner: Erik Jones is arguably the best driver to wheel the 43 car since Richard Petty’s retirement—sorry, Aric.
Ranking: #23 out of 50
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