NASCAR Cup Series 2013 Rookie of the Year - Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site

2013 NASCAR Cup Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings

Updated 11-18-2013

Rookie of the Year Pages by Season / Year:
2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013
All-Time NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year Winners / Stats / Records page

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SCORING SYSTEM

The scoring system to determine the Sunoco Rookie of the Year varies from NASCAR’S point system for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. The following is a breakdown of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year scoring system:

” A 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system is used for scoring finishing positions by the rookies. The highest-finishing rookie in each race earns 10 points, the second-highest, nine points, etc.

” Of the 36 races, only the top 17 are counted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie race.

” In order to be eligible for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award, a driver must attempt to qualify in at least eight events out of the first 20 events.

” Attempting to qualify for a race earns the rookies one bonus point, which is a bonus that is available for all 36 events.

” 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 and so on down the line with a 10th-place effort earning one point.

” Following the final race of the season, the highest-ranking rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship receives 10 bonus points. The second-highest rookie earns nine points, third receives eight, etc.

” During the final weekend of the season, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year panel meets and rewards favorable conduct in the following categories: Conduct with NASCAR officials in the garage and pit areas; conduct and awareness on track; personal appearance and relationship with the media. The panel rates each driver, with scoring ranging from a maximum of 10 to a minimum of 1. Total points will be averaged from each panel member’s ballot. The points derived from the panel will be added to the entry, competition, and bonus points after the final race of the season to determine the overall Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner.
(NASCAR.com)(1-31-2015)

Rookie Stripes

rookies will be noted on the car they drive by a yellow stripe on the rear bumper of the car.
sometimes a driver not up for the Rookie of the Year award may have yellow stripes on tracks they have not competed on in the past
or if NASCAR decides the driver doesn’t have enough experience.

2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Standings

Car#-Driver, Races Attempted/Races Run; Attempt Pt + Race Rookie Pts + Bonus Pts = Total Rookie Pts
My calculations using the last know rules (see above):
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 36/36; 36 + 170 + 12 = 218
#10-Danica Patrick, 36/36; 36 + 159 + 3 = 198
#32-Timmy Hill, 19/19; 19 + 142 + 0 = 161
(thru 11-17-2013)
What NASCAR reports on the official race report – usually posted Monday:
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 253 rookie points (35 bonus pts)
#10-Danica Patrick, 232 rookie points (34)
#32-Timmy Hill, 189 rookie points (28)
(includes the final bonus points awarded by panel after the final race of the season)
(thru 11-18-2013)
NOTE: Looks like if a rookie starts and parks, they get one (1) point total for the race, haven’t seen rules posted in a few years

HIGHEST FINISHING ROOKIE BY RACE
Race, Highest-Finishing Rookie (finish), points awarded
Daytona 500, #10-Patrick (8th), 14
Phoenix, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (16th), 11
Las Vegas, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (18th), 11
Bristol, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (16th), 11
Auto Club, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (20th), 11
Martinsville, #10-Patrick (12th), 11
Texas, #10-Patrick (28th), 11
Kansas, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (11th), 11
Richmond, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (16th), 11
Talladega, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (13th), 11
Darlington, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (18th), 11
Charlotte, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (14th), 11
Dover, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (13th), 11
Pocono, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (26th), 11
Michigan, #10-Patrick (13th), 11
Sonoma, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (27th), 11
Kentucky, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (17th), 11
Daytona, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (11th), 11
New Hampshire, #17-Stenhouse Jr.(34th), 11
Indianapolis, #17-Stenhouse Jr.(25th), 11
Pocono, #32-Hill (27th), 11
Watkins Glen, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (18th), 11
Michigan, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (19th), 11
Bristol, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (18th), 11
Atlanta, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (16th), 11
Richmond, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (10th), 12
Chicago, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (8th), 14
New Hampshire, #17-Stenhouse Jr (24th), 11
Dover, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (17th), 11
Kansas, #32-Hill (28th), 11
Charlotte, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (13th), 11
Talladega, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (3rd), 19
Martinsville, #10-Patrick (17th), 11
Texas, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (16th), 11
Phoenix, #17-Stenhouse Jr. (12th, 11
Homestead, #10-Patrick (20th), 11
(X) = no rookie award mentioned on final official race report
Best Finishing Rookies, Times:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 28
Danica Patrick, 6
Timmy Hill, 2
Races with no rookie, 0

NOTES: the rule used to be that once a driver ran more then seven races in a season,
they were not eligible for Rookie of the Year,
but the rules changed when NASCAR required drivers to declare which series to accrue points for during the season.
So since Danica Patrick didn’t run for Sprint Cup Series points in 2012, she can still run for rookie of the year in 2013.
Supposedly, Trevor Bayne, could run for rookie of the year in 2014 as he has never ran for Sprint Cup points
even thou he has won a Sprint Cup Series race, the 2011 Daytona 500

Current Season News and Notes

Stenhouse Jr. is NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year: Though #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t enjoy as much success as he might have liked in 2014, his performance was strong enough to secure Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Stenhouse, who finished 22nd Sunday, beat out girlfriend #10-Danica Patrick for the recognition as top rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “It means a lot, looking at all the other names that have won this award,” Stenhouse said. “It definitely wasn’t the season that we wanted, but we slowly but surely got a little bit better throughout the season. I was proud of what we did, of getting better, qualifying better, having runs up front, leading laps throughout this year. I thought we had a chance at winning some races there, at least being in contention. I was proud of those moments. All in all, it was a huge learning experience. Thankful we made it through; it’s behind us now. We can move on to next year, look on improving every spot at every track that we can in the final points standings.”(NASCAR Wire Service)(11-18-2013)
Patrick, Stenhouse Jr. Headline Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award Battle: As teams make final preparations to start the 2013 race season, NASCAR announced today the lineup of 2013 Contingency Program sponsors for all three national series. Not since 2006, when Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. battled for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, has there been this much attention focused on the rookie title. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Timmy Hill and Danica Patrick, all eligible for 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, enter this season with high expectations. Stenhouse, the two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, and Hill won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Patrick finished the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series 10th in points. “This year’s Sunoco Rookie class is going to be truly exciting to watch,” said Andrew Kabakoff, Sunoco Brand Manager. “We are proud to support NASCAR’s rising stars and wish them the best of luck as we look forward to a very exciting season of racing.”
The Coors Light Pole Award is another key contingency partner that will undoubtedly receive a lot of attention this season. Danica Patrick’s pole victory in Daytona placed the award in the spotlight this week, as did the season-opening Sprint Unlimited, where the field was set by 2012 Coors Light Pole winners and past champions of the event. The Coors Light Pole Award is presented to the fastest eligible qualifier in each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. “We are proud of the strong lineup of NASCAR Contingency Program sponsors across our three national series this year, and are enthused by the excitement surrounding the intense competition for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award,” said Norris Scott, NASCAR vice president, Partnership Marketing. “NASCAR contingency sponsors and teams display a level of collaboration and teamwork that is unmatched in sports and continues to be one of the major reasons companies choose to partner with NASCAR.”
The NASCAR Contingency Program strives to build strong relationships with high quality, performance driven brands that are leaders in their respective categories, and award money to NASCAR teams via per race and year-end awards. Competitors become eligible for prize money by displaying sponsor decals on the front fender of their race cars and trucks. In some instances, use of a sponsor product is also required.(NASCAR)(2-23-2013)
Danica vs. Ricky for Rookie of the Year: For the first time since 2006, when Denny Hamlin beat out Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and a host of others, there’s a legitimate rookie of the year battle. It’s not a deep class, but the intrigue of two-time Nationwide Series champion #17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. going against former IndyCar star #10-Danica Patrick will draw a lot of attention.(ESPN), the rule used to be once a driver ran more then seven races in a season, they were not eligible for Rookie of the Year, but the rules changed when NASCAR required drivers to declare which series to accrue points for.(1-11-2013)

All-Time NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year Winners / Stats / Records page

Rookie of the Year Pages by Season / Year:
2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013