Looking back at the 2008 season ...
You might have missed it, but NASCAR did crown some rookies of the year in 2008. One actually has ties to Texas. Regan Smith, right, beat out former IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr. by seven points for the Sprint Cup honor. Landon Cassill, driving a partial schedule for JR Motorsports, won the ROY in the Nationwide Series, beating out Bryan Clauson by eight points. In the Craftsman Truck Series, Ovalo native Colin Braun became the sixth Roush Fenway Racing driver to win ROY honors in the series. Hornish came up short in his bid, but he shouldn’t hang his head. He was the only former open-wheel star to survive his rookie campaign in Sprint Cup. He said he’s committed to staying in NASCAR, despite rumors that had him returning to IndyCar. Lack of sponsorship and an ankle injury doomed IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti’s attempt at NASCAR, and former Champ Car star Patrick Carpentier was fired at Gillett Evernham Motorsports after a spat with his crew chief at the fall Talladega event. Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve saw his Cup venture cut short after failing to qualify for the Daytona 500.
Looking ahead to next year ...
Winning Rookie of the Year doesn’t seem to come with any guarantees. At of the end of the 2008 season, Smith was the odd man out when Dale Earnhardt Inc. thinned its stable of cars after it merged with Chip Ganassi Racing. Cassill’s ride with JR Motorsports is in limbo because Dale Earnhardt Jr. has yet to find sponsorship for the No. 5 Chevy. Braun seems to be the only driver able to set solid goals for 2009. Mercifully, perhaps, the open-wheel trend seems to be coming to an end in Sprint Cup, with only former Formula One star Scott Speed, above, scheduled to attempt a full-time run in 2009. He’ll battle teenage phenom Joey Logano and possibly Chad McCumbee for the ROY honors. Should be a good scrap. At least better than 2008.
-- Michele Vincze
Photos: Getty Images
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