Of all the storylines that came out of the wild (and forgettable) weekend at Daytona International Speedway, there was one story that was glossed over by fans and media alike, perhaps even the driver in question.
Austin Cindric has secured the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.
If this accomplishment is news to you, you’re probably wondering, “How could it be? There are still 10 races left in the season!”
Well, Cindric made the playoffs. Yes, that’s all it took for him to lock in Rookie of the Year. His Daytona 500 win was enough to project him into the postseason, and because he is the only rookie to make it there, he is guaranteed the highest points finish of all freshmen, an achievement which automatically wins him the prestigious honor.
But just how prestigious is this award now? The Rookie of the Year is decided by season-end points, and although this criteria has worked for many years, the institution of the newest iteration of the playoffs means rookies who make it are the only ones who can compete for Rookie of the Year.
Usually, it isn’t an issue, as it’s very rare for a full-time rookie to win a race. But Cindric’s cakewalk to win this kind of award literally just happened two years ago.
Cole Custer stole his first and only career win to date at Kentucky Speedway in 2020, vaulting himself into the playoffs doing so. He was the only rookie to make the postseason, and therefore won ROTY after the 26th race of the season.
The problem? Custer was not the best rookie that year. His two NASCAR Xfinity Series rivals, Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, were having much better seasons than Custer despite earning no wins. Custer had no shot at the playoffs until his Kentucky triumph, while Bell and Reddick were dancing around the cut line the entire season up to that point.
Had Custer not won that race, he would not be ROTY, and Reddick would have instead taken home that award. Reddick deserved the award more than Custer, who would have finished 20th in a non-playoff points scenario, behind both Reddick (18th) and Bell (19th).
It almost happened again in 2016. Chris Buescher and Front Row Motorsports played pit strategy perfectly, as they were the leader at Pocono Raceway when weather forced NASCAR to end the race, giving Buescher the upset of the season. He made the playoffs and would have won Rookie of the Year if Chase Elliott didn’t also make the playoffs as a freshman. Elliott took home the award, but Buescher,…
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