OPINION: Rookie Of The Year, (Big) Deal or No (Big) Deal?

Corey Heim has already won the Brickyard 400, but won't be eligible to compete for NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2027. (Gavin Baker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Carol Houssock, SWN Northeast Contributor

What does it mean to be Rookie of the Year in racing?

It may or may not be easy to figure out, and it may or may not be easy to explain what one even is.

As a short track announcer, I always referred to someone making their debut in a new-to-them division as a rookie. At the end of the year, the track sometimes declared that driver to be the Rookie of the Year. But, it all depended on several factors.

It seems ‘it all depends’ is everywhere in motorsports.

Back in 1993, I penned a column on NASCAR’s rookie-of-the-year battle, stating it was no battle at all. Jeff Gordon beat out Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace and P.J. Jones based on the criteria NASCAR used at that time.

NASCAR has revised its system to select the Rookie of the Year for its three national divisions several times over the years. From 1958 to 1973 a group of the sanctioning body’s executives subjectively chose someone.

Yet in 1971, with no guidelines, they disallowed Benny Parsons as a candidate because he had previously won ARCA championships.

In 1974 NASCAR began rewarding on-track performance more, but even that has changed over the past 50 years. Eligibility meant that a driver couldn’t have started more than seven events in any prior season.

And still, in 2020 NASCAR deemed Quin Houff eligible even though he had run 17 races the year prior. It all depends. In his case, NASCAR used an exemption.

So, what’s the deal? And ponder this scenario – a registered rookie wins a race during the elimination era and is in the playoffs. Then circumstances (funding, injury, etc.) keep him or her out for several races and he or she doesn’t run enough races to be eligible for rookie honors.

It happened, and NASCAR made another eligibility revision. The format then mirrored points earned all season.

Even now, the debate continues, as NASCAR recently declared that Corey Heim – a two-time Cup Series winner this year – won’t be eligible for rookie-of-the-year honors in 2027 because he’s made too many starts already, under yet another fluid parameter.

But how much does such an award really matter? It depends, I suppose, on how many others were eligible and what the criteria were at the time.

In 2010 and 2011, the NASCAR Cup Series rookie-of-the-year earned the title over drivers who didn’t run enough races to be eligible. And where are they now? Kevin Conway, the 2010 honoree, ran just three races after that and most recently ran a Lamborghini in the IMSA-sanctioned Super Trofeo series.

Andy Lally, who earned Cup rookie honors in 2011, also jumped ship and still races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

More recently, Ty Gibbs beat out Noah Gragson, the only other eligible driver for Cup Series rookie-of-the-year award, but both still compete today.

On the flip side, the sevens are working for Kyle Larson. He won rookie-of-the-year honors in the Xfinity (now O’Reilly) Series in 2013, topping seven others. A year later he won the rookie title in the Cup Series, again over seven others.

Seven years after the Cup honor, Larson earned the series championship. It matters to him.

Kasey Jedrzejek (6) is a candidate for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series rookie-of-the-year award this season, despite a mid-year injury that kept him out of several races. (Tyler Carr photo)

The ongoing change of rookie eligibility criteria isn’t limited to NASCAR, either.

For the World of Outlaws, a driver must declare running for top rookie prior to the 15th event of the season, or April 15th, to be approved by a group of officials.

Eligible drivers either never competed in an entire previous season, haven’t won more than five races (heats or features) in their career, never declared a run more than three prior times and/or competed in fewer than half of the series events in any year. Rookie candidates must run in three quarters of the scheduled races, but those not meeting that minimum still accumulate points. Got that?

Oh, and the five-member selection panel doesn’t limit their vote to on-track performance. It depends.

Drivers going for rookie-of-the-year recognition in the Hunt the Front Series must also apply prior to their first race in April. Eligibility is based on the number of years racing a dirt super late model, the number of significant wins they’ve earned, and achievements, plus the amount of previous regional or national competition they’ve had.

Significant wins and achievements aren’t defined, so I guess it depends.

The number of races available for viewing has greatly increased driver and sponsor exposure. Sponsors love it, and drivers never know who’s watching them. Announcers may mention so-and-so was a former rookie-of-the-year, but if someone was previously in a series victory lane, is that person really a rookie in the eyes of the viewers? It depends.

Every driver shoots to be top rookie. But, just as race procedures and point structures have changed, so have the criteria for rookie-of-the-year awards.

It’s a big deal, for sure, but it’s tough to make any comparisons.

In short, it all depends.

The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of Steering Wheel Nation, its staff, partners, or other contributors.