Sunoco does much more than fuel the NASCAR cars for the races. They also sponsor the annual Rookie of the Year Award. Each year a rookie from each of the three NASCAR series – Cup, Xfinity, and Truck – is presented with a Rookie of the Year Award based on his performance throughout the season.
In the Cup Series, Team Penske driver of the number two car Austin Cindric got his rookie year started off with a bang by winning the Daytona 500. While he didn’t make it into the final four championship drivers, Cindric did drive his way to a Rookie of the Year Award in the Cup Series.
Cindric was in the Rookie of the Year race with Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland.
After moving up from the Camping World Truck Series tis season, another Austin – Austin Hill took home the Rookie of the Year Award in the Xfinity Series. Hill won two races this season, including the opening race at Daytona, driving for the number 21 car for Richard Childress Racing.
Hill, Sheldon Creed, Kyle Sieg, and Jesse Iwuji were all in competition for the Rookie of the Year Award in the Xfinity Series.
While just a part time driver for Kyle Busch Motorsports, sharing the number 51 truck with team owner Kyle Busch, Corey Heim beat out Lawless Alan to win the Rookie of the Year Award. He scored 211 points ahead of Alan. Heim earned 10 top 10’s in only 16 races for 2022.
Contracted by Toyota, Heim moves to TRICON next season where he will drive the number eleven truck full time.
Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award winners through history:
Blackie Pitt
Ken Rush
Shorty Rollins
Richard Petty
David Pearson
Woody Wilson
Tom Cox
Billy Wade
Doug Cooper
Sam McQuagg
James Hylton
Donnie Allison
Pete Hamilton
Dick Brooks
Bill Dennis
Walter Ballard
Larry Smith
Lennie Pond
Earl Ross
Bruce Hill
Skip Manning
Ricky Rudd
Ronnie Thomas
Dale Earnhardt
Jody Ridley
Ron Bouchard
Geoffrey Bodine
Sterling Marlin
Rusty Wallace
Ken Schrader
Alan Kulwicki
Davey Allison
Ken Bouchard
Dick Trickle
Rob Moroso
Bobby Hamilton
Jimmy Hensley
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Burton
Ricky Craven
Johnny Benson
Mike Skinner
Kenny Irwin
Tony Stewart
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick
Ryan Newman
Jamie McMurray
Kasey Kahne
Kyle Busch
Denny Hamlin
Juan Pablo Montoya
Regan Smith
Joey Logano
Kevin Conway
Andy Lally
Stephen Leicht
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Kyle Larson
Brett Moffitt
Chase Elliott
Erik Jones
William Byron
Daniel Hemric
Cole Custer
Chase Briscoe
Austin Cindric
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