NASCAR sees rare rookie trend for first time in 14 years

By Asher Fair | Jul 14, 2020

Cole Custer, Stewart-Haas Racing, Kentucky, NASCAR, Cup Series (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

For the first time since the 2006 NASCAR Cup Series season finale, three rookies finished in the top 10 in a race, led by winner Cole Custer at Kentucky Speedway.

Stewart-Haas Racing rookie Cole Custer surprised himself when he won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway after starting in 29th place and going from sixth to four-wide to the lead in the final two laps around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Sparta, Kentucky in his #41 Ford.

Custer became the first driver eligible to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award to win a race since Chris Buescher secured an upset victory in a rain-shortened race at Pocono Raceway in August of 2016.

In doing so, Custer also became the first rookie driver to qualifying for the playoffs since Buescher did so along with Chase Elliott in 2016.

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As a playoff driver, the 22-year-old Ladera Ranch, California native can finish no lower than 16th place in the championship standings. Buescher finished in 16th in 2016, so a top 15 finish would make Custer the highest finishing rookie since Elliott finished in 10th the same year.

But an even rarer rookie trend was set in Sunday afternoon’s 267-lap race that goes beyond what Custer was able to accomplish. He was not the only rookie who finished in the top 10. In fact, the entire “Big 3” of last year’s Xfinity Series recorded top 10 finishes.

Leavine Family Racing rookie Christopher Bell finished in seventh place in his #95 Toyota while Richard Childress Racing rookie and two-time reigning Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick managed to finish in 10th in his #8 Chevrolet.

The last time three Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders finished in the top 10 was in 2006.

If that drought was ever going to end, it was going to end in 2020, given how deep this year’s rookie class is. Front Row Motorsports’ John Hunter Nemechek has had a strong year as well with six top 15 finishes in 17 races, and there have been a number of races during which the top 10 has consisted of three rookies at some point.

Rookies finished in second, third and 10th place in the 2006 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. led the trio ahead of Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.

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Thanks to his victory, Custer is set to compete in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway this Wednesday, July 15, while Bell and Reddick will attempt to qualify for it in the All-Star Open leading up to it that evening. Tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the qualifier, and stay tuned in for the main event at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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