For the first time since 2006, when Denny Hamlin beat out Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and a host of others, theres a legitimate rookie of the year battle. Its 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 seres to accrue points for.
