The start of the NASCAR season is just under one month away and teams are working seemingly nonstop to prepare for Daytona. A select group of drivers is also preparing to battle for Rookie of the Year honors.
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NASCAR announced on Jan. 27 that several drivers will be eligible for the prestigious award across the three national series. This included two Cup Series drivers, eight Xfinity Series drivers, and six Truck Series drivers.
Rookie of the Year contenders
- Shane van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing (Cup)
- Riley Herbst of 23XI Racing (Cup)
- Dean Thompson of Sam Hunt Racing (Xfinity)
- Carson Kvapil of JR Motorsports (Xfinity)
- Connor Zilisch of JR Motorsports (Xfinity)
- William Sawalich of Joe Gibbs Racing (Xfinity)
- Taylor Gray of Joe Gibbs Racing (Xfinity)
- Daniel Dye of Kaulig Racing (Xfinity)
- Christian Eckes of Kaulig Racing (Xfinity)
- Nick Sanchez of Big Machine Racing (Xfinity)
- Toni Breidinger of Tricon Garage (Truck)
- Gio Ruggiero of Tricon Garage (Truck)
- Connor Mosack of McAnally-Hilgermann Racing (Truck)
- Andres Perez de Lara of Spire Motorsports (Truck)
- Christian Rose of Niece Motorsports (Truck)
- Frankie Muniz of Reaume Brothers Racing (Truck)
The Cup Series list is the smallest, but it features drivers who have already delivered strong runs in limited Cup Series starts. Van Gisbergen won his debut on the streets of Chicago in 2023 and then he finished 10th at Indianapolis. SVG also posted top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval last season.
Herbst posted top-10 finishes at both Daytona and Talladega in 2023 while driving for Rick Ware Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
The Xfinity Series lineup is considered to be stacked considering the resumes of the respective drivers. The group features winners and champions from multiple series.
Sawalich is a two-time ARCA East champion. Sanchez is an ARCA Menards Series champion and a two-time Truck Series winner. Eckes is a nine-time Truck Series winner. Dye finished second in the ARCA championship standings in 2022.
Kvapil is a two-time zMAX Cars Tour Late Model Stock champion. His best finish in limited Xfinity action was second at Dover last season. Zilisch is a developmental driver for Trackhouse Racing who won his Xfinity debut last season. He also won the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Zilisch also won five ARCA races last season.
Gray contended for a spot in the Truck Series Championship 4 last season. He also finished third in his Xfinity debut. Thompson is a veteran with 70 Truck Series starts and a pair of third-place finishes.
The Truck Series lineup features a mix of drivers rising through the racing ranks, multiple of which previously competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series.
Breidinger finished a career-best fourth in points last season in ARCA. Muniz finished fourth in the ARCA standings in 2023. Perez de Lara won the ARCA championship last season.
Ruggiero is a Toyota prospect with accomplishments across multiple series. He won an ARCA East race last season, the 2023 Championship Racing Association (CRA) Super Series title, the 2023 Southern Super Series title, and the 2022 Show Me The Money Pro Late Model Series title.
Mosack is a veteran driver with starts in multiple series. He is a two-time ARCA winner who also finished top 10 in four of his 11 Truck Series starts.
