2008 - Rookie of the Year

[muggle not]

Take your pick:

Patrick Carpentier, #10
Dario Franchitti, #40
Sam Hornish, #77
Regan Smith, #01
Jacques Villeneuve, #

[Jonesi]

Take your pick:

Patrick Carpentier, #10
Dario Franchitti, #40
Sam Hornish, #77
Regan Smith, #01
Jacques Villeneuve, #

First thing Jacques Villeneuve's number will be 27.
Dario Franchitti & Regan Smith start the year in 'top 35' (and maybe Sam Hornish w/#2 Ku Busch's points) a big advantage. Teams make a difference too. 3rd/4th DEI Chevy car vs 2nd/3rd Ganassi Dodge vs 3rd/startup Penske Dodge, advantage RCR/DEI engines if they get their problems solved. I think Dario's experience will win out over Regan. If either PC or JV (or SH) can get into the top 35 on the 6th race and stay there they deserve ROY.

[harvick#1]

I say Regan Smith, what a weak Rookie Class :s

[Nicholas Morse]

I think that is a very STRONG, yet inexperienced rookie class.

I think on a weekly basis, the performance will be as follows:

Dario Franchitti, #40
Regan Smith, #01
Sam Hornish, #77
Jacques Villeneuve, #
Patrick Carpentier, #10

Although Smith, Hornish, and Villeneuve won't be far apart from each other. They will all be running in the same pack.

Franchitti already has the cars figured out. He is doing great, he has a lot to lean on with JPM and having solid equipment. (Stremme just had bad luck in the form of Kasey Kahne)

Smith has okay equipment. Whenever Mark Martin was in, he would get what the car had, and finish top 15.

I don't know why Hornish signed with Penske. Penske has been a perform now or be gone with his drivers. Worse than most owners. He put Gaughn in, didn't get what he wanted, out of the car. (Gaughn had a good rookie year) He put Kvapil in the car (who performed worse than Gaughn) and didn't get what he wanted, got rid of Kvapil. Now he is putting in Hornish? Who is struggling to qualify? Even Kvapil always made it into the show.

I just don't understand that, if Penske had stuck with Gaughn, that would be a top 15 team by now. Gaughn has the talent, he just didn't get enough time.

I think Villeneuve will be okay in the long run. I think he should use this year to get the hang of things, then take over Blaney's equipment (although it wont happen) and then he might be able to do some top 15's. I think Villeneuve is the true wildcard here, he could do horrible, or have a JPM type season, which would be great.

Maybe Carpentier was signed because it was the cool thing to do? I know he is a talented driver, but he had 1 race, in the NNS series, at a roadcourse, in the old car, that the NSCS doesn't run at! I just didn't see the logic there. He is going to have a rough year, hopefully he makes it through the season. He needs to HOPE that EMS returns to it's 3rd/4th best team in the series status so he can finish in the top 30.

-Nic

[muggle not]

I say Regan Smith, what a weak Rookie Class :s
Well harvick, so far you are the only person willing to make a pick. :)

[Cole_Trickle]

Yeh I'd go Regan or Dario, I'd hope Regan does it though.

[BobbyC]

I'll say Regan Smith. His patience will be rewarded.

[Sparky1329]

I can't decide between Dario and Regan but I'm leaning Regan.

[Jonesi]

Well harvick, so far you are the only person willing to make a pick. :)

I picked, Dario Franchitti. "I think Dario's experience will win out over Regan."

[Jonesi]

snip.... I don't know why Hornish signed with Penske. Penske has been a perform now or be gone with his drivers. Worse than most owners. He put Gaughn in, didn't get what he wanted, out of the car. (Gaughn had a good rookie year) He put Kvapil in the car (who performed worse than Gaughn) and didn't get what he wanted, got rid of Kvapil. Now he is putting in Hornish? Who is struggling to qualify? Even Kvapil always made it into the show.

Maybe Carpentier was signed because it was the cool thing to do? I know he is a talented driver, but he had 1 race, in the NNS series, at a roadcourse, in the old car, that the NSCS doesn't run at! I just didn't see the logic there. He is going to have a rough year, hopefully he makes it through the season. He needs to HOPE that EMS returns to it's 3rd/4th best team in the series status so he can finish in the top 30.
-Nic

Hornish was still under contract to Penske, it was just a question if he was going to drive for Penske's IRL team or Penske's Cup team.
I would take issue with your "Penske has been a perform now or be gone with his drivers." He's had very few drivers for the last 25 years in OW. He had reasonable stablity at Penske South with Rusty Wallace as a partner, even though Rusty's been a long time opponant of multi car teams. It's only the ill-defined underfunded teamups with Kranefuss & Jasper that had the driver turnover.

On Carpentier signing. New Canadian majority owner of "GILLETT EVERNHAM RACING" looking to attract Canadian sponsors to unsponsored car, it was a safe bet he was going to bring in a Canadian driver (and Jacques was already signed;-).

[RaceFanStan]

Looking at the 2007 Owner's Points Standings some ROTY candidates will have trouble making the 1st 5 races ...
ONLY Regan Smith & Dario Franchitti WILL be guaranteed a starting spot ...

GUARANTEED a Starting Spot - Definately WILL Start the 1st 5 Races of 2008
Owner's Points Standing - Driver - Car - Team
17th - Regan Smith - #01 Chevrolet - Dale Earnhardt Inc
26th - Dario Franchitti - #40 Dodge - Ganassi Racing

NOT Guaranteed a Starting Spot - MUST Qualify on Speed in the 1st 5 races of 2008
Owner's Points Standing - Driver - Car - Team
37th - Patrick Carpentier - #10 Dodge - Evernham MotorSports
(the #10 made 30 of 36 races attempted in 2007) (6 DNQs)
(Scott Riggs made 27 of those 30 races started)
44th - Jacques Villeneuve - #27 Toyota - Bill Davis Racing
(was #36, only made 18 of 36 races attempted in 2007) (18 DNQs)
49th - Sam Hornish Jr - #77 Dodge - Penske Racing
(a late entry in 2007, was #06, made 3 races of 6 attempts) (3 DNQs)

Also seat-time is VERY important !!!
Regan Smith had 7 Cup starts, 17 Busch starts & 10 Truck starts in 2007
Dario Franchitti had 0 Cup starts, 4 Busch starts & 1 Truck start in 2007
Given that Regan Smith has MORE seat time & is with a better team, he is my pick for 2008 ROTY. :D

[RaikkonenRules]

If Dario can stop crashing every race like he has in Busch he should be ROTY. If not then Regan Smith.

[tassiedevilAB]

If Dario can stop crashing every race like he has in Busch he should be ROTY. If not then Regan Smith.

It is to early to do this, just wait until you see them testing at Daytona next year, anything can happen between now & the first tests, The walls usually win first & then if the roty has paid attention, he might just start missing them.

[Lee Roy]

Jv!!!!!!!

[CCFanatic]

I will go with Regan, because with 6 startes he has the most experience in a Cup car. He has the most oval and stock car experience as well

Other than that.
Err...
Dario
Patrick
Villenueve
Sam

[RaceFanStan]

If Dario can stop crashing every race like he has in Busch he should be ROTY.
If not then Regan Smith.
Franchitti qualified for the last 4 Busch Series races of 2007 ...
Dario only crashed in half of the Busch Series races he entered ...
Busch Series Race 32 @ Memphis - finished 32nd - 3 laps down
Busch Series Race 33 @ Texas - finished 25th - 3 laps down
Busch Series Race 34 @ Phoenix - finished 29th - Crashed - DNF
Busch Series Race 35 @ Homestead - finished 39th - Crashed - DNF

Franchitti also qualified for 1 Truck Series race in 2007 ...
Truck Series Race 21 @ Martinsville - finished 33rd - Rear End Failure - DNF

[RaceFanStan]

I will go with Regan, because with 6 startes he has the most experience in a Cup car.
He has the most oval and stock car experience as well ...
Regan Smith definitely has the advantage of more seat-time in NASCAR ...
he has many more NASCAR starts than any of the other ROTY candidates ...
beginning in 2002 Regan Smith has kept his goal alive for a full-time Cup ride ...
(he was a full-time Busch Series driver in 2006 (#35) & finished 20th in Busch Series points)
12 Truck Series starts, 2002 thru 2005 & 85 Busch Series starts, 2002 thru 2006 …

in 2007 Regan Smith had somewhat better statistics ...
7 Cup Series starts(#01), 2 lead lap finish (0 crashes/0 DNF)
17 Busch starts(#4), 3 top 5s & 5 top 10s, 9 lead lap finish (4 crashes/4 DNF)
10 Truck starts(#47), 1 top 5 & 4 top 10s, 6 lead lap finish (2 crashes,1 engine failure/3 DNF)

Regan Smith goes full-time Cup racing in 2008. :D

[call_me_andrew]

I'm voting for Villeneuve.

[RaceFanStan]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/orn/00.gif

[RaikkonenRules]

Franchitti qualified for the last 4 Busch Series races of 2007 ...
Dario only crashed in half of the Busch Series races he entered ...
Busch Series Race 32 @ Memphis - finished 32nd - 3 laps down
Busch Series Race 33 @ Texas - finished 25th - 3 laps down
Busch Series Race 34 @ Phoenix - finished 29th - Crashed - DNF
Busch Series Race 35 @ Homestead - finished 39th - Crashed - DNF

Franchitti also qualified for 1 Truck Series race in 2007 ...
Truck Series Race 21 @ Martinsville - finished 33rd - Rear End Failure - DNF

Actually he was invovled in carshes in both races just didn't retire.

[Osella]

I'm going for Dario, 'cos he's just damn great! ;) Although I think Smith should win it owing to his greater Stock Car experience..