SUNOCO FUELS 2011 NASCAR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CLASS
They power every engine in every major NASCAR series, as well as millions of vehicles on the street. Now Sunoco is stepping up to fuel a new generation of rising stars in the sport. Get a glimpse at the 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class for NASCAR’s top three national series as they gas up and go to compete for the coveted honor.
By Sheri Herrmann, special to NASCAR Performance
What do Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and Joey Logano have in common? They’ve all been named NASCAR Rookie of the Year – one of the most prestigious and long-standing honors bestowed upon first-year drivers competing in the sport.
Since 1958, NASCAR has awarded top performing first-year drivers the distinction of Rookie of the Year. In 2011, there’s a new twist in the race for the coveted Rookie title as Sunoco steps up to fuel a new generation of young racing talent.
This season, NASCAR welcomes Sunoco, which has been the Official Fuel of NASCAR® since 2004, as the title sponsor of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award across all three NASCAR national series divisions, as well as in all of NASCAR’s U.S. touring series.
"We are thrilled to sponsor NASCAR's Rookie of the Year program,” said Bob Owens, Sunoco's senior vice president of marketing. “It supports rising young talent, promotes the future of a great sport, and makes for exciting racing as drivers compete for the title."
The 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class has two contenders in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, five in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and 12 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, there are currently two drivers – Brian Keselowski and Andy Lally – eligible for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Keselowski will race for his family-owned and operated team in what is sure to be one of the great, feel-good stories of the year. Following his third win in the GT class of the Rolex 24 Hour race earlier this year, Lally will make his bid for Sunoco Rookie of the Year after making starts in ARCA along with NASCAR’s three national series over the last few years.
"It has been a dream of mine since I was young to race in NASCAR," said Andy Lally, driver the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala. "To be running for Rookie of the Year is a great opportunity and motivator to keep my competitive edge sharp. Sunoco as the Rookie of the Year sponsor adds even more prestige to the title. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and competing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors."
The five drivers currently eligible for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Nationwide Series include Jennifer Jo Cobb, Timmy Hill, Blake Koch, Charles Lewandoski, as well as two-time K&N Pro Series East champion Ryan Truex who is looking to cross Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors off his racing bucket list.
“I would say it’s one of my goals for this season,” said Ryan Truex, driver of the No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Racing Toyota. “I sat out a few races last year so I would be eligible to win it this season. Winning Rookie of the Year is the next thing I want to cross off the list before I go for the Nationwide championship. I know we have everything that it takes to win races. Our new cars have been running really strong both last season and the first two races this season. We’ve done some testing over the off-season now I think we have a chance to win every weekend.”
Boasting a total of 12 eligible drivers, this year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie class will be a competitive one. Joey Coulter, Chris Eggleston, Craig Goess, Justin Johnson, Parker Kligerman, Miguel Pauldo, Chase Mattioli, Dusty Davis, and Cole Whitt join Johanna Long in the 2011 rookie class. In addition to these 10 drivers, Formula 1 standout Nelson Piquet Jr. along with 4th generation NASCAR driver and grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, Jeffrey Earnhardt, will work to capture this year’s award.
“To win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year would mean a lot to me,” Jeffrey Earnhardt, wheelman of the No. 1 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet said. “Just for the simple fact that we are not a fully funded team and we have obstacles to overcome. If we were to win, then it would be evident that would have happened. The competition is really tough.”
Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates are awarded points based on entry, competition, top-10 bonus points, and voting panel points. Points are awarded based on his/her best 17 races in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action, 16 events in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, or 14 events in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Points during competition are awarded based on the following:
* Attempting to qualify for a race earns the rookies one (1) bonus point.
* A 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system is used for scoring finishing positions. The highest-finishing rookie in each race earns 10 points, the second-highest, nine points, etc.
* Bonus points are awarded for a finish in the top 10. A rookie who wins a race is awarded 10 points, second place gets nine points and so on down the line with a tenth place finish earning one point.
In addition to the above, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year panel will meet during the final weekend of the season and reward favorable conduct in the following categories: conduct with NASCAR officials; conduct and awareness on track; personal appearances and relationship with the media. The panel rates each driver on a scale of 10 to one with 10 being the maximum. The points will then be averaged and added to the entry, competition, and bonus points after the final race.
The 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class is sure to put on a spectacular show for NASCAR fans across all three national series. Make sure to keep up with current Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings for all three national series by logging on to NASCAR.COM:
NSCS: www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/data/stand...
