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Join the Discussion "Who's your pick to win the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title?" Make your pick

Related Resources • 2002 ROTY Prediction • 2001 ROTY Prediction • 2000 ROTY Prediction • 1999 ROTY Prediction

Dateline: January 20, 2003

Last year only two drivers ran the full schedule for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. And both ROTY winner Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson had tremendous seasons. In 2003 there are six drivers who intend to challenge the full season and the Rookie Title chase. Here's how this year's rookie crop stacks up.

Too Much To Overcome

AJ Foyt has been successful in everything he has ever done, except being a Winston Cup car owner. This year his son Larry takes over the driving duties after a brief two-year tour in the Busch series where he was, at best, a mid pack racer. Given the struggling team and his lack of impressive experience Larry Foyt will do well to qualify for every race this season and is not a serious threat to the rookie title.

Tony Raines is moving up with his Busch Series BACE Motorsports team to run in the big show. The Busch Series 1999 Rookie Of The Year knows about learning curves but his team, still lacking a primary sponsor for the year, will likely struggle. I believe BACE Motorsports will be successful, they always have been, but their current sponsor issues will make for an uphill battle against the better funded and more experienced teams on this list.

Promising, But No

Open-wheel legend Rick Mears' nephew Casey Mears will be making his Winston Cup rookie run this year in the #41 Target car that Jimmy Spencer drove for most of 2002. Casey only managed an average finish of 23rd in the Busch Series, but takes over an established ride and a solid team. The Target team hasn't put together many strong runs over the last couple of years, and neither has Casey. This will be an interesting team to watch, maybe Casey is the fresh face that this team needs?

The real wildcard entry on the list this year is Jack Sprague and his new NetZero Pontiac owned by Gene Haas and Haas Automation. The three-time Truck series Champ only ran one Busch Series season before jumping up to Winston Cup but what a great year. Jack's 2002 BGN campaign earned three poles and one win en route to a solid fifth place finish in the points after leading the series for part the season. Jack Sprague will be great in Winston Cup, the question is whether or not it will be in 2003.

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