Trouble in Turn2

The last seven seasons have seen the advent of a youth movement in NASCAR at the Cup level. Young Guns have taken over in large numbers and many have quickly found success. Since 2000 a rookie has won a race in every season except 2004. Going back to 2002 the recent rookie classes have been pretty impressive. 12 of 19 drivers have won races, nine have made a Chase appearance and one has won two championships. Not bad for a wave of drivers that some fans complained were ruining the sport (Toyota and open wheel drivers have since acquired that “honor”). So which rookie class featured the best rookies? It’s a tough decision. I decided to look at the various classes from 2002-2006. I didn’t rate the 2007 class because drivers deserve at least three seasons for a fair assessment. The only reason I included the 2006 class was because it included so many drivers with immediate success it was an exceptional case. This week focuses on the 2003 class. Check out previous reviews: 2002, 2003, 2004.

The 2005 rookie class only features two members, Kyle Busch and Travis Kvapil. Busch has been a hot prospect since he was a teenager and is now a bona fide superstar thanks to his big year in 2008. Meanwhile Kvapil has taken a more indirect path to the Cup series but looks to have finally established himself as a skilled Cup driver.

Kyle Busch made his NASCAR debut at 16 in the Truck Series in 2001. NASCAR created an age limit for their top three series and Busch was forced to wait until he turned 18 before he could compete again. If not for the rule he may have made his Cup debut prior to his 18th birthday. Upon his return it didn’t take long to stand out. He won 5 races in the Busch Series in 2004 and finished 2nd in the points.

In 2005 he moved to the #5 car at Hendrick Motorsports, replacing the retiring legend Terry Labonte. He won two races and became the youngest driver to win a Cup race at age 19. Despite typical rookie struggles, Busch scored 9 top 5’s, 13 top 10’s and finished 20th in the overall standings. He won Rookie of the Year in a class of two.

In 2006 and 2007 Busch didn’t ascend to stardom but did win two races and made the Chase playoff field in both seasons. He also had his share of controversy with other drivers due to his attitude and occasional bouts of immaturity. He left Hendrick Motorsports after 2007 to make way for Dale Earnhardt Jr and he landed a ride with Joe Gibbs Racing. Whether it was the move or simply Busch’s experience catching up with his talent, 2008 has been a banner year. Through July Busch has
seven wins and leads the point standings.

Travis Kvapil won the 2003 Truck Series title but didn’t land a Cup ride until 2005. Roger Penske hired him to drive their third car, the #77. In hindsight it was an exercise in futility. Kvapil did not have the same equipment as his teammates, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace, and he struggled all season. He managed only 2 top tens and teetered on the edge of the top 35 in points.

After the 2005 season the #77 team was contracted and Kvapil was left to scramble for another ride. The best he could manage was with Cal Wells’ fledging PPI Racing team. The team hadn’t been competitive since 2003 and Kvapil again had little chance of success. Kvapil didn’t finish better than 19th and struggled to simply make races. The team folded after the 2006 seson relegating Kvapil to the Truck Series again.

After a successful truck season Kvapil was hired by Yates Racing to drive the #28 car. Teamed with crew chief Todd Parrott, the duo has found speed in the car. Kvapil has three top tens through 20 races, proving he is a capable driver given quality equipment.

Verdict: Kyle Busch is one of the top stars in NASCAR and has an excellent chance at his first Cup title this year. Kvapil took a while to find a decent team but has displayed his skill. It’s difficult to rate the class very high in comparison to other deeper classes. In ten years Busch may wind up as one of the two or three best drivers to emerge since Tony Stewart was a rookie in 1999. that would probably reflect well on the class too.