Piston Cup Rookie of the Year

The **Rookie of the Year** award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a Piston Cup season.

## History of the award

The award began in 1954 for the highest-finishing rookie in a Piston Cup Season. Leroy Heming won the first ever award that same year.

### Eligibility

1. Must have run no more than ten, and have been declared to race for driver points in that series, races in any previous season.
2. Drivers who compete in more than ten races in a higher Piston Cup-sanctioned series are not eligible for the award in a lower series if they have not declared for the higher series.
3. A driver must be in a good Piston Cup standing at the end of the season. The driver may not have been involved in incidents of moral turpitude. (As of 2016, the Piston Cup reserves their right to indefinitely suspend drivers involved in any off-track discriminatory behavior and/or criminal charge or conviction, as well for failing the Piston Cup's substance abuse policy.)

## List of Winners

### Piston Cup Racing Series

#### 2024 Piston Cup Season contenders

1. Everett Chapcar
2. Michael Alexander Latifi

#### Winners

1. 1954: Leroy Heming
2. 1955: Morris Axler
3. 1956: Bobby Carsac
4. 1957: John Rigley
5. 1958: Lee Cunningham
6. 1959: Henry Wilson
7. 1960: Martin Power
8. 1961: Maurice Weathers
9. 1962: Donald Smith
10. 1963: Joe Axel
11. 1964: Frank Marintire
12. 1965: Kraig Shiftright
13. 1966: Albert Pillarbox
14. 1967: Rev Pitcar
15. 1968: David Palmer
16. 1969: Bill Shields
17. 1970: Strip Weathers
18. 1971: Don Chapcar
19. 1972: Grover White
20. 1973: Lonnie Pond
21. 1974: James Robson
22. 1975: Mike Yankee
23. 1976: Thomas Tanrev
24. 1977: Pete Wilson
25. 1978: William Highbanks (Only rookie that season)
26. 1979: Dale Earnhardt
27. 1980: Jordan Powers
28. 1981: Thomas Tanrev (Only rookie that season)
29. 1982: Greg Candyman
30. 1983: Eugene Carbureski (Only rookie that season)
31. 1984: Ken Schroeder
32. 1985: Murray Clutchburn
33. 1986: Larry Smith
34. 1987: Buck Schooner (Only rookie that season)
35. 1988: Jack Spinner
36. 1989: Chuck Armstrong
37. 1990: Haul Inngas
38. 1991: Jack Edwards
39. 1992: Brush Curber
40. 1993: Ryan Shields (Only rookie that season)
41. 1994: Slider Petrolski
42. 1995: Mac iCar (Only rookie that season)
43. 1996: Darren Leadfoot
44. 1997: Dirkson D'Agostino
45. 1998: None
46. 1999: Jarrett Towerwheel (Only rookie that season)
47. 2000: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
48. 2001: Ralph Carlow
49. 2002: Todd Marcus
50. 2003: Aiken Axler
51. 2004: Manny Flywheel
52. 2005: Lightning McQueen
53. 2006: Cal Weathers
54. 2007: Brick Yardley
55. 2008: Bobby Swift
56. 2009: TBA
57. 2010: Phil Tankson
58. 2011: None
59. 2012: None
60. 2013: None
61. 2014: None
62. 2015: None
63. 2016: Jackson Storm
64. 2017: Cruz Ramirez
65. 2018: William Byrev
66. 2019: Aric Almirolling
67. 2020: Eric Jones
68. 2021: Henry Miles
69. 2022: Axel Wheeler
70. 2023: Ace Cohen
71. 2024: TBA

### Piston Cup Bumper Save Pro Series

#### 2024 Piston Cup Bumper Save Pro Season Contenders

1. Ryan Gears
2. Nicholas Inngas
3. Jacob Bradford Rutherford
4. Thomas McGee
5. Riley Curbst
6. Harvey Jordan

#### Winners

* 1959: Daniel Carler
* 1960: Robert Wilson
* 1961: TBA
* 1962: Richard Flipover
* 1963: Jim Plymouth
* 1964: Cole Speedland
* 1965: TBA
* 1966: Simon Johnson
* 1967: Mike Henson
* 1968: TBA
* 1969: TBA
* 1970: Pete Gearford
* 1971: TBA
* 1972: Gabriel Swift
* 1973: Ben Ashler
* 1974: Lars Buster
* 1975: Kevin Harley
* 1976: Eugene Carbureski
* 1977: Bel White
* 1978: Toby Windwell
* 1979: John Sochi
* 1980: Katie Autocar
* 1981: Toyota Mitchell
* 1982: None
* 1983: Kurt Hill
* 1984: Jason Miller
* 1985: Cedric Hinge
* 1986: Clifford Track
* 1987: Daniel Pulaski
* 1988: Sidney Joyce
* 1989: Ron Lightyear
* 1990: Paul Gruberg
* 1991: Seth Carmer
* 1992: Dirkson D'Agostino
* 1993: Liam Driver
* 1994: Daniel Williams
* 1995: Nathan Strickland
* 1996: Mark Roads
* 1997: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
* 1998: Andrew Carr
* 1999: Adam Weathers
* 2000: Jake Darths
* 2001: Dash Rallyman
* 2002: TBA
* 2003: Joseph Suregrip
* 2004: Lewis Rodriguez
* 2005: Leo Vault
* 2006: Dud Throttleman
* 2007: Kevin Harley Jr.
* 2008: Phil Tankson
* 2009: Cody Lightyear
* 2010: David Miller
* 2011: Jordan Carlow
* 2012: Curtis Axler
* 2013: Chris Draglan
* 2014: Vince Coolantine
* 2015: Alan Grease
* 2016: None
* 2017: Everett Chapcar
* 2018: Brad Revcar
* 2019: Joshua Rimmer
* 2020: Julius Ratakorpi
* 2021: Kyle Steeringson
* 2022: Paxton Storm
* 2023: TBA
* 2024: TBA

### Junior Piston Cup Pro Series

#### 2024 Junior Piston Cup Season contenders

1. Zacharias George
2. Neville Scruggs