Rookie Report Feedback

[Lumberg01]

Hi Everyone,

As of right now, it looks like we will only have two drivers competing for the 2009 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Award (Joey Lagano and Scott Speed). Since the current format of our Rookie Report is better suited for several drivers, we think that this would be a good time to revisit the way we cover the Sprint Cup freshman. As we brainstorm about how the piece can be retooled, we would be mistaken if we didn't consider the most important part of this article...YOU...Our Loyals Readers!

We would love to hear your feedback on what you like about the Rookie Report, what you don't like about it - if that's even possible - and what addtional coverage you would like to see in the future.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Regards,
Tony

Frontstretch Rookie Report

[Chris]

well in the past (back in the day).. I always judged the rookies on how many top 10's they had (if they had ANY). and any other good finishes...
Now days with Rookies stepping into better and better rides, It seems you have to look for (maybe ) a possible win (I don't see that happeneing this season) and short of that any top 5, and any top 10's.
If the rookies all run the full season I was never a fan of just counting 1/2 their races... especially now that most guys seem to run the full season.
I guess back 30 years ago that might of worked when a rook may of had to supply his own ride, or drive for a part-time team, and may of only had starts for 2/3 of the season.// so NASCAR just counted the best 1/2 of them... but these days it seems outdated.

To me it seems pretty simple... stats don't lie.  Looks at the finishes, and where the drivers finish.  I'm not against the bonus points they give out... it is a relationship to if they grab a finish in the top ten.  I'd just count all the races.

Now IMO I'm not one of those that think Logano is going to run away with the RoY championship this year.  Even if it is a two man show,.. I think Speed will be able to make the championship at least "interesting" before the year is over.  Everyone is just expecting Logano to be this "Whiz kid" and I don't think he'll live up to that.  Folks aren't expecting Speed to do very much, and I think he'll surprise lots of folks... SO between those two expectations not being met,.. I think it'll change peoples thinking when they re-think the rookie deal at the end of the year.
I think think Logano will win it.... but I don't think it'll be the "blow-out" everyone expects it to be...

[DougS]

I agree with Chris here for this season it should be a pure performanced based system. Review it again next season.

It's going to be an interesting year to see what develops over the year for next season. Will we see a rush for rookies to fill seats or are Keso, Gale and Cassil going to be victims of bad timing to be entering NASCAR. With the the surplus of jouneyman drivers sitting on the sideline waiting to fill an empty seat who will an owner look to?

[scott b]

With fewer rooks to cover, I think you could give more in-depth analysis of why they had a good or bad run, and what was the turning point of the race for them.

As for Doug's comment, Keslowski's progress won't be derailed by the downturn as long as he makes a decent showing in his limited schedule this year (and I'm confident he'll do that).  For the rest of the developmental drivers, yes the pool of veterans could mean they wait an extra year or two before they come up to Cup, but my guess is that there will be multiple rookies in the class of 2010. 

Sponsors will always dream of finding the next big thing, owners will always lean toward the veteran that will bring the car back in one piece.  I have a feeling the guys paying the bills will get there way. 

[skool]

Sponsors will always dream of finding the next big thing, owners will always lean toward the veteran that will bring the car back in one piece.  I have a feeling the guys paying the bills will get there way. 

Will they?

How many of 'the next big things' have really panned out?  In the past, money was no object, spend it like it grows on trees!  Now the economy is VASTLY different, and VERY SUDDENLY so.  Sponsors are cutting back, Owners themselves are on the verge of folding......common sense should lean toward the marketable veteran that CAN bring the car home in one piece, thereby offering more of an opportunity for a win or good finish, generating MORE exposure for the sponsor AND saving the owner money too.

Let 'the next big thing' have to time to mature, gaining experience, so that when it IS time to bring him up, he has more of a chance to have good finishes thereby creating yet agoin MORE exposure for the sponsor and at the same time saving the owner money..........a circle see.....the way it SHOULD be.


But what do I know?  I could only afford to have two yrs of common sense removed by higher education 


Nothing like a good ole economic depression to revitalize common sense and frugality!

[scott b]

I agree that is the way it should be, but I'm not convinced that's the way it will be.

I think you hit on the key word. MARKETABLE veteran.  The veterans who are very good pitchmen will continue to find rides if the sponsor thinks they can rep thier products well.

[Chris]

This is kinda off topic... but may apply to rookie teams of the future...

I think this MAY have to be the next big thing... A leaner meaner race team...
Instead of race teams spending 20-25 million dollars a year to race on...
They may have to go back to the old days and learn how to get by on 1/2 that amount...
With the economy in such a down turn.... money WILL quit flowing into racing teams....
The teams that figure out HOW to do more with MUCH less will be the teams that are able to survive, and will make the other teams look bad in the process.
The teasm that are racing on 1/2 the moiney will "publicize" they are racing on 1/2 the money... That way this will be the following thing to happen:

The sponsors will ask the 25 million dollar teams  they are working with... "If they can get by on $12 million, why can't you... find a way to cut expenses"

[20forLogano]

I wasn't here last year for the rookie report so being a newbie here I will just say a couple of things.  First, I like the idea of dissecting the race for the 2 rookies Logano and Speed.  I think there will be many points during the season these 2 cats will give folks stuff to talk about.  I like that thought.  Second, I agree with chris that Speed will have a decent run in the 84 this year.  While I think Red Bull made the mistake of taking the Dinger out we all know this was sponsor driven Red Bull has tons invested in Speed.  Even though I am a Joey fan and know Joey will outperform Speed this will be a good battle to the end.  Joey is going to have some solid runs in the 20 and some bad races as well.  I am thinking towards the 2nd half of the season he is going to be knocking on the door of winning.  Chris doesn't think he will enter VL but I differ on that.  Right or wrong only time will tell.  But this will be a rookie battle kinda of what we saw with Newman and Johnson meaning the competativeness.

[Lumberg01]

Hi Again Everyone,

Thanks again for the great feedback. All of you have brought up some very good points, especially regarding the challenges in the sport right now.

Chris - I agree with you about teams possibly getting learner and meaner. It's what the American steel industry had to do a few decades a go and it looks like it is what the auto industry will need to do now. From a rookie perspective, it will be interesting too see if it will go back to the way it used to be where rookies had to proove themselves with a second or third tier team first before getting signed with one of the top teams, who may not want to risk having to spend money on fixing wrecked race cars.

20forLogano - I think that may end up being a good comparison between the Newman/Johnson battle and the Lagano/Speed battle to be. They certainly came out of the gate slow at the end of '08, but I think it can, and will only get better in '09. They have to be better than the rookie class we just saw.

The marketability vs. talent seems like it is a debate that will stay for some time. In most cases, we all know Michael Waltrip would not have NAPA backing him anyomore if it weren't for his obsessive promoting. I also wasn't a fan of David Stremme replacing Sterling Marlin back in the day. Maybe Marlin's time was up, but Stremme had very little experience at the time and did not do much in the then Busch Series. It's scary that owners are taking drivers with little experience and expecting them to do more in a shorter amount of time in Sprint Cup today.

As for the Rookie Report, I think a more in depth analysis is definitely a good consideration. Perhaps a "Turning point of the race" or "Rookie Mistake" or "Rookie Outperformance" section could be added. It also seems like there is some interest in past rookies as well as who is supposed to be the next best driver. So I am considering a rotating section that reviews what past rookie competitors are doing today and who we should be on the look out for in the next few years.

If you have any further thoughts, keep them coming!