Rookie Of the Year Comparisons

[muggle not]

Comparisons of the past 5 Rookie Of The Years:

2007: Montoya....1 win......3 top 5.....6 top 10........avg fnsh 22.7
2006: Hamlin.......2 wins.....8 top 5.....20 top 10......avg fnsh 12.5
2005:Kyle...........2 wins.....9 top 5.....13 top 10......avg fnsh 21.0
2004: Kasey.......0 wins.....13 top 5....14 top 10......avg fnsh 16.7
2005: Jamie........0 wins......5 top 5....13 top 10......avg fnsh 18.6

[Osella]

I think the fact that David Ragan was runner-up says all it needs to about the 'quality' of the rookies this year...

Although, if Reutimann hadn't needed to qualify to race...

[harvick#1]

it was a weak Rookie class, just like how it will be next year with Jacues and Sam

[RaceFanStan]

Juan Montoya had no real competition for ROTY ...
Juan's stats are weak : 1 win (road course naturallyhttp://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/rolleyes.gif), 3 top 5s, 6 top 10s ...
Montoya finished 20th in points ... http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/yawn.gif

Monytoya was really unimpressive if you look at the 1999 ROTY Tony Stewart ...
Tony's average finish was 12.6 his rookie year !!!
(ROTY Tony Stewart got 2 poles)
Tony Stewart also had 12 top 5s & 21 top 10s his rookie year ...
PLUS Tony Stewart WON 3 races & finished 4th in the Cup points, all in his rookie year !!!

So before anyone starts patting Montoya on the back ...
they should realize Montoya's rookie stats were no where near Tony Stewart's ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

[muggle not]

Juan Montoya had no real competition for ROTY ...
Juan's stats are weak : 1 win (road course naturallyhttp://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/rolleyes.gif), 3 top 5s, 6 top 10s ...
Montoya finished 20th in points ... http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/yawn.gif

Monytoya was really unimpressive if you look at the 1999 ROTY Tony Stewart ...
Tony's average finish was 12.6 his rookie year !!!
(ROTY Tony Stewart got 2 poles)
Tony Stewart also had 12 top 5s & 21 top 10s his rookie year ...
PLUS Tony Stewart WON 3 races & finished 4th in the Cup points, all in his rookie year !!!

So before anyone starts patting Montoya on the back ...
they should realize Montoya's rookie stats were no where near Tony Stewart's ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif
Chit Stan, even McMurray's stats were better overall :D than JPM.

However, I still think that JPM will perform the best out of all the new O.W. drivers coming to Nascar.

[tstran17_88]

I'm thinking JPM's stats would have been better if Harvick wouldn't have wrecked him at Watkins Glen! :p :

[call_me_andrew]

So before anyone starts patting Montoya on the back ...
they should realize Montoya's rookie stats were no where near Tony Stewart's ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

Tony Stewart's rookie season has turned NASCAR into the wasteland it has become. Before Tony, no one ever expected rookies to win.

And Montoya did finish higher in the points than any of the other Ganassi drivers.

[harvick#1]

I'm thinking JPM's stats would have been better if Harvick wouldn't have wrecked him at Watkins Glen! :p :

:arrows:

[Robert Ryan]

Monytoya was really unimpressive if you look at the 1999 ROTY Tony Stewart ...
Tony's average finish was 12.6 his rookie year !!!
Well he had some practice prior to that:

It was in 1997 that Stewart began his NASCAR career running IRL and a full Busch schedule with team owner Joe Gibbs. Surprisingly, Stewart’s record with Busch was winless; however he had many top 10 finishes including two 2nd place finishes – one at Rockingham where Matt Kenseth passed him on the last lap.
By my calaculations that is two years in Busch(as well as the IRL), but he was very umipressive in 1997, although he has a oval based background.

[RaceFanStan]

Chit Stan, even McMurray's stats were better overall :D than JPM.
However, I still think that JPM will perform the best out of all the new O.W. drivers coming to Nascar.
I do lean to agreeing that JPM will be the best performing OW convert ...
that being said I will further say that JPM WON'T be a consistent top 10 contender ...
as everyone should realize by now, consistency is the key to success in NASCAR.

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

I think Monty did well. With no Stock car experience remember, did good. Next year i hope to see a improvement (and im sure he does as well).

We all knew it was going to be hard for him to drive these cars and a bit of a culture shock.

Hes done better than some more established NASCAR names.

[tstran17_88]

It was in 1997 that Stewart began his NASCAR career running IRL and a full Busch schedule with team owner Joe Gibbs. Surprisingly, Stewart’s record with Busch was winless; however he had many top 10 finishes including two 2nd place finishes – one at Rockingham where Matt Kenseth passed him on the last lap.

I didn't see who made this comment but Tony never ran a full season in Busch because of running in the IRL. His first full Nascar season is 1999, his rookie year in Winston Cup.

[Robert Ryan]

I didn't see who made this comment but Tony never ran a full season in Busch because of running in the IRL. His first full Nascar season is 1999, his rookie year in Winston Cup.
It is from his biography. Well he was running Busch and the IRL for one whole year as well..getting plenty of oval experience in a Cup like car, before he did Cup in 1999.

[tstran17_88]

His biography? Seems a bit inaccurate then. He only ran 5 Busch races in 1997 and 22 races in 1998. And it’s being awfully nice to Matt Kenseth too. Matt used the bump-and-run on Tony to win the Rockingham Busch race. :D