NASCAR Rookies Dale Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth Sweep May
Dateline: 05/30/2000As Matt Kenseth crossed the finish line Sunday night he completed an unprecedented NASCAR sweep. A Rookie won every event held in the month of May. Dale Earnhardt Jr. picked up his second victory of the season May 6th in Richmond and then backed it up with a win in "The Winston" leaving the Coca-Cola 600 for his friend and competitor Kenseth.
Including Tony Stewart's record-setting splash in 1999, the recent rookie classes have been outperforming the hundreds of rookies that have gone before them. Why have the sport's newcomers been able to take center stage lately?
The answer really lies in two parts. The easy answer is that yes, these three drivers are truly extraordinary talents. Tony Stewart has been a winner in everything he ever sat in, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time Busch series Champion while Matt Kenseth has a natural feel for the race car that rightfully caught the eye of some big NASCAR names.
However the biggest advantage that these drivers have over many of the rookies that came before them is that they are all backed by successful, big money teams. Joe Gibbs Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Roush Racing are three of the best funded teams in NASCAR who have landed big sponsorship deals that have enabled them to have the very best of everything.
The current explosion of rookie talent really reflects the aging of NASCAR's existing stars. Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott and their contemporaries have been the mainstay of NASCAR for years. As these future legends begin to look forward to retiring from the cockpit they are defining their post-driving careers by staking their claim to the best young drivers coming up through the ranks.
How do you attract young talent and keep them around? Give them the best equipment money can buy and a legitimate shot to win every week.
This trend looks like it will run at least one more season. Last week, Ray Evernham formally announced the rest of his two car race team for 2001. Veteran driver Bill Elliott will have 2001 NASCAR Rookie Of The Year contender Casey Atwood as his teammate and protege. With plenty of money, plenty of natural driving talent, Ray's chassis knowledge and Elliott's vast racing experience it would not suprise me at all to see Atwood find his way to victory lane during his rookie campaign. Thus continuing this remarkable flood of talent into Winston Cup racing.
Someday, these young drivers will be looking to retire and will hand-pick the best and brightest drivers, put them in the best equipment and the cycle will continue with another generation of NASCAR stars.
