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Riding The Next Wave
Rookies Making Their Mark In NCWS East
Austin Dillon’s name was the most prominent, as the race winner of the NASCAR Camping World Series East opener at South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway April 19. But a look throughout the results reveals an astonishing fact: 18 rookies helped make up a field of 39 cars that entered in the race.
In addition to Dillon, Ben Stancill (third), Ricky Carmichael (fifth), Trevor Bayne (ninth) and Buster Bennett (10th) recorded top 10 finishes in their debuts.
The reality is it shouldn’t be a complete surprise. The precedent was set last season when nearly half of the top 10 drivers in the final point standings were rookies, led by Joey Logano, who became the first to collect the NASCAR Camping World Series East championship and Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the same season.
“We have group of rookie drivers loaded with talent again this year,” said Lee Roy, NASCAR Camping World Series East Director. “We had 15 rookie drivers in 2007, and five of them finished in the top-10 in series points. Joey Logano’s accomplishments were extraordinary. He opened a lot of eyes and more than a few doors for young for aspiring young drivers who want to follow his path.”
A record number of drivers have registered as 2008 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award candidates in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. Of the 18 that have enrolled in the program — the previous record was 15, in 2007 — 11 made it into the race through qualifying.
Here is a look the top 2008 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award contenders in the NASCAR Camping World Series East:
• Trevor Bayne: Staring in go-karts at age five, Bayne advanced through Allison Legacy Series, Legends cars and USAR Pro Cup where he was the 2006 rookie of the year. Along the way, he accumulated more than 400 race wins and 23 championships. He attracted the attention of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and signed on as a DEI development driver in 2007. He qualified 16th and finished ninth in his first career start at Greenville.
• Buster Bennet: Bennet began racing go-karts at age 13. At 18, he began his NASCAR career in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car division. He competed at Hickory, Tri-County, Concord, and Southern National in North Carolina, as well as Myrtle Beach and Florence in South Carolina. In one streak he won 13 of 19 races. Drives for veteran independent NASCAR team owner and former driver Maxie Bush. At Greenville, Bennet qualified eighth and finished 10th.
• Ricky Carmichael: Carmichael is considered by many to be the greatest AMA motorcycle Motocross/Supercross driver of all time. He has 150 career AMA wins and 24 major AMA championships. NASCAR national series driver Mark Martin was an advocate for Carmichael to join NASCAR. As a young dirt-track driver in the Kansas City area, Clint Bower considered Carmichael his racing idol. Carmichael recently retired from motorcycles to compete in NASCAR stock cars. At Greenville, Carmichael qualified 11th and finished fifth.
• Kyle Cattanach: A veteran of NASCAR short track racing on both dirt and asphalt, the Redding Calif.-based driver began racing in 1991. He has one top-10 finish in the former NASCAR Elite Division, and made three starts in the NASCAR Camping World Series West in 2007 with a best finish of forth at Altamonte. At Greenville-Pickens hen started 23rd and finished 18th.
• Dustin Delaney: In 1991, Delaney began his career racing go-karts in Malta, N.Y. At age 15, Delaney scored his first win in the dirt Sportsman Modified division at the same track. He won the divisional track championship in 2007. He also made a good first NASCAR Camping World Series East start at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway, starting 30th and finishing 13th. At Greenville, Delaney qualified 30th and finished 19th.
• Austin Dillon: The 17-year-old has been racing only three years, but has advanced from Bandoleros and Legends cars through UMP Modifieds and dirt Late Models. Last year he won the All Star Challenge for dirt Late Models at The Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In all he scored three wins, 12 top-fives and 25 top-10s in 34 dirt Late Model starts in 2007. His grandfather is NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion car owner Richard Childress. At Greenville, Dillon qualified fifth fastest, led the most laps (76) and picked up his first victory.
• Ryan Duff: Kentuckian Duff is a motocross and supercross rider who competed in moved to USAR Pro Cup racing in 2007. He has competed at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Southern National Speedway in Kenley, N.C., and Bristol Motor Speedway among many others. At Greenville, he qualified 21st and finished 25th.
• Ben Stancill: Although only 19, Stancill have been racing for 12 years. From local go-kart track championships, he won two North Carolina state championships. In 2002 he was a divisional state champion in North Carolina. He continued to win Legends championships through 2006. In 2006 he won the rookie of the year award in the Late Model Truck division at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, then won the division’s championship in 2007. He also made two NASCAR Camping World Series starts last year and posted a best finish of 15th at South Boston. At Greenville, he qualified seventh and finished third.
• Alan Tardiff: Tardiff is a two-time SMKA go-kart Triple Crown championship winner and 1997 SMKA champion. He has been a consistent top-five performer in the Super Late Model division at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me. He’s competed at local short tracks across Maine, and New Hampshire. At Greenville, he qualified 25th and finished 21st.
• Derek Thorn: Originally from Lakeport, Calif., Thorn developed his skills on California dirt and paved tracks before moving to the Midwestern hot bed of pavement Late Model racing in Wisconsin. He then moved on to compete in touring Late Models in the southeast, and posted his biggest win at Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tenn., winning the Music City Spring Clash 200. At Greenville, he qualified sixth and was running with the leaders when he was swept into an accident with three laps remaining and finished 24th.
