Who Replaces Smoke?

his name is sure getting kicked around a lot. Jr was sure touting him in his last new conference, all for him doing it.


Regan is a solid driver. But can he add anything as far as making the organization better for next year?
 
I personally think it will be like a Dale Jr., a fill in until Dale got better substitution. Unless he has complications, or it is in a bad place, Tony will be in that car with a cast on and soon. Sprints will probably be a longer period.
 
Ahhh somebody announced that days ago , post #18 ....oh that was me . Pretend there is a smiley face here.
 
Ahhh somebody announced that days ago , post #18 ....oh that was me . Pretend there is a smiley face here.
Hold on there grasshopper go to all stories about Smoke, posts 235 & 237 Wednesday at 1:22 pm, yours was Saturday at 7:12 am, beatcha by 3 days. :p
 
Should be interesting, this is the best car he has had to drive for a cup race. 11th at Michigan in a pretty good car last time.
 
It is just for one race, you guru's will have to re consult your tea leaves or crystal balls again next week.
 
Good for Austin. I'm looking forward to him running in HMS equipment, it's better than his granddad's stuff. I'm a little surprised they didn't pick him for more races right off the bat though, I thought I heard Zippy say last week they wanted continuity.
 
Good for Austin. I'm looking forward to him running in HMS equipment, it's better than his granddad's stuff. I'm a little surprised they didn't pick him for more races right off the bat though, I thought I heard Zippy say last week they wanted continuity.
I think it's just a 'buy a ride ' issue . Pop pop would like to 'make this happen' Question is , is his 'rookie status' an issue anymore ?
 
Since he hasn't declared for Cup points this year he'll still be a rookie next year.

I don't like how they determine rookie status anymore. Under the current system a driver could have full seasons before they declare for points. Only NASCAR could complicate what a rookie is.

I think it's good for Austin and RCR to get to get to play with a Hendrick car. Sure Austin will bring plenty of notes to the Monday meeting.
 
I don't like how they determine rookie status anymore. Under the current system a driver could have full seasons before they declare for points. Only NASCAR could complicate what a rookie is.

I think it's good for Austin and RCR to get to get to play with a Hendrick car. Sure Austin will bring plenty of notes to the Monday meeting.
"Rookie" by term for ROTY used to be 7 or less starts the prior year.
 
so how will Austin juggle running mid ohio and Michigan this weekend? I thought the times were conflicting
 
Dillon will probably be full-time Cup next year anyway, and he only has 9 starts at this point. Trevor Bayne would be the "experienced rookie" because of his deal with the Wood brothers team.
 
I don't like how they determine rookie status anymore. Under the current system a driver could have full seasons before they declare for points. Only NASCAR could complicate what a rookie is.

I think it's good for Austin and RCR to get to get to play with a Hendrick car. Sure Austin will bring plenty of notes to the Monday meeting.
Trevor Bayne will probably have around 60 Cup starts before he begins his "rookie" season. Wild.
 
Stay tuned ofr "as the 1
Trevor Bayne will probably have around 60 Cup starts before he begins his "rookie" season. Wild.

I got a headache trying to figure it out. This is the current loophole for these two: Oh yeah, it says also that Nascar can put a yellow stripe on any car's bumper they think is inexperienced in the series.? Big freakin mess if ya ask me

Beginning in 2011, drivers that are ineligible for points in one series cannot earn Rookie points in that series. For example, Trevor Bayne ran 18 races in 2011. However, due to him declaring to run for the Nationwide championship, Bayne was also ineligible to declare for ROTY in 2011. Under revised NASCAR rules on rookie eligibility, Bayne, once he declares as a Sprint Cup driver, will be eligible for the rookie title. Danica Patrick ran 10 races in 2012 in Sprint Cup, though she declared she would race for the Nationwide championship, allowing her in 2013 to declare in Sprint Cup, and race as a rookie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_Rookie_of_the_Year#Eligibility
 
It's not particularly difficult to grasp. As for the rookie stripe thing - that will likely apply until the driver has run a full season and thus all tracks on the schedule. Max Papis had a rookie stripe in the Nationwide Iowa race for that reason. I notice Dillon is linked to one of Stewart's sponsors (Bass Pro Shops), it wouldn't surprise me if that was a significant factor in the driver choice.
 
I thought this was pretty cool, dug it up while looking, off topic, but not worth a thread IMO
Right now, the top two contenders for NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year honors are Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Roush Fenway Racing and his on-track rival/off-track girlfriend Danica Patrick of Stewart-Haas Racing.

At first blush, neither Stenhouse nor Patrick is exactly setting the NASCAR world on fire, at least not on track. Through 15 races, Stenhouse is 19th in points, without a single top-10 finish to his credit, and Patrick is 27th, having scored her only top 10 in the season-opening Daytona 500.

But the truth is, succeeding as a rookie in the Sprint Cup Series is a daunting task. Since 1970, only 11 drivers have finished in the top 10 in points in their rookie seasons. Here they are:

10. Walter Ballard, 10th, 1971 -€” At the age of 38, the Houston native took Rookie of the Year honors by running in 41 of 48 races in 1971. He scored three of his four career top-five finishes in his rookie season.

10. (tie) Terry Labonte, 10th, 1979 -” Another Texan, Labonte was one of three rookies who finished in the top 10 in points in '€™79. For the season, he had two top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in a very deep rookie class.

9. Kevin Harvick, 9th,2001 -” Among all the rookies, Harvick'€™s season was one of the most impressive, given that he had the unenviable task of succeeding the late Dale Earnhardt. Harvick won in his third race, narrowly edging Jeff Gordon.

8. Earl Ross, 8th, 1974 -€” Ross won the fall race at Martinsville driving for Junior Johnson, one of his five top-five finishes that season. But after 1974, he would compete in just two more Sprint Cup races, one each in 1975 and '™76.

6. Dale Earnhardt, 7th,1979 -” It took little time for Earnhardt to score his first career victory -€” he did it at Bristol in April of that year. He also earned four poles, 11 top fives and 17 top 10s. One year later, Earnhardt would win the first of his seven titles.

6. (tie), Jody Ridley, 7th,1980 - After making a total of 12 starts between 1973 and '79, Ridley took ROTY honors in 1980 on the basis of two top fives and 18 top 10s. He would score his only race victory the following year.

4. (tie) Joe Millikan, 6th, 1979 -” Want to win a bar bet? Ask someone who scored more points as a rookie in 1979 than both Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte. That would be Joe Millikan, in the only year he would run the entire schedule.

4. Ryan Newman, 6th,2002 - The Rocketman edged Jimmie Johnson for rookie honors in 2002, with one victory and 14 top-five finishes. Newman also became the second rookie to win the Sprint All-Star Star race.

3. Jimmie Johnson, 5th,2002 -€” Although he finished ahead of Newman in points, Newman was '02 ROTY on the basis of more top fives and more top 10s. Despite the disappointment, Johnson went on to have a decent career.

2. Tony Stewart, 4th,1999 -€” Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, the former IndyCar star stormed out of the gate with three victories and 12 top-five finishes in a sensational rookie season. Three years later, Stewart won the first of three Cup championships.

1. Denny Hamlin, 3rd, 2006 -€” The best NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie season since 1970, at least in terms of a point finish, belongs to Richmond-area native Hamlin. The highlight of his great rookie season was winning both Pocono races from the pole.
 
Glad Austin replaced Stewart, not smith. Hopefully this will distract Dillon away from NW and he will choke.
 
1st week in the 14, pretty strange. Dillon is RCR all the way, and they skipped over Smith who is driving for Earnhardt/Hendrick, when the 14 car is a Hendrick clone. Wonder if this was a strategy move to distract Dillon in the n'wide and let Smith have a better shot? Dillon wants to be a cup driver so bad that he might be blowing his small lead he has in N'wide. Maybe he knows he will be in cup next year regardless of where he finishes in N'wide?
 
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