This article is part of our NASCAR Draft Kit series.
The 2016 rookie Sprint Cup class is the deepest and most talented in quite some time. Some young, but very seasoned, Xfinity Series drivers will make the transition this season, and they're not entirely unfamiliar with Sprint Cup Series cars. In addition to full-time rookies, some will make part-time forays into the world of Sprint Cup Series racing from the sport's lower divisions.
For the first time in 23 years there will be a different driver behind the wheel of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. Gone is Jeff Gordon, who won four championships and 93
The transition from the Xfinity Series or Camping World Truck Series to the top division of NASCAR is always a big adjustment for young drivers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s performance in 2013 and Austin Dillon's performance in 2014 are good examples of how even future stars takes some time to adjust to NASCAR's top racing series.
We'll look at the ROTY candidates and some of the young, up-and-coming drivers who will make part-time starts in the Sprint Cup Series this season, and give you some in-depth analysis on which rookies are the ones to watch closely this season.
1. Chase Elliott
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| ARCA Series | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| K&N Pro Series East | 26 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Xfinity Series | 66 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 53 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For the first time in 23 years there will be a different driver behind the wheel of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. Gone is Jeff Gordon, who won four championships and 93
The 2016 rookie Sprint Cup class is the deepest and most talented in quite some time. Some young, but very seasoned, Xfinity Series drivers will make the transition this season, and they're not entirely unfamiliar with Sprint Cup Series cars. In addition to full-time rookies, some will make part-time forays into the world of Sprint Cup Series racing from the sport's lower divisions.
For the first time in 23 years there will be a different driver behind the wheel of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. Gone is Jeff Gordon, who won four championships and 93 races is now gone and his name is etched in NASCAR lore. Now the baton is passed to the super-talented Elliott. In just three short years of racing in NASCAR's lower divisions, he's racked up one championship (Xfinity), five victories and 60 top-10 finishes. The potential for success right out of the gates in the Sprint Cup Series is tantalizing. Not only is Elliott the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year from day one, he's got the skill and team to compete for a Chase berth in season one. Elliott got a cup of coffee in the top division last season with five starts in a fifth Hendrick car. While those efforts only yielded three top-20 finishes, much more is expected once he takes control of the No. 24 Chevrolet and is teamed with seasoned crew chief Alan Gustafson. NAPA will head up a strong sponsorship package and Elliott will be given the tools to succeed right away.
2. Ryan Blaney
Car: 21
Owner: Wood Brothers Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
Blaney comes with a great rookie pedigree, just like Chase Elliott, although he'll be racing for a much smaller and resource-limited team at Wood Brothers Racing. The No. 21 Ford will return to full-time Sprint Cup Series competition for the first time in nine years. Due to this, some ups-and-downs are to be expected. However, Blaney's talent yielded eight combined victories between the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series in just four seasons of competition. He also claimed a runner-up finish in the truck series standings in 2014. Blaney has managed 18 combined starts in NASCAR's top division over the last two years, so he has a good bit more experience in Cup cars than Elliott. That experience should help tremendously. Blaney has the skill and the team has the equipment for him to claim 5-7 top-10 finishes in his first full season. He'll press Elliott as hard as possible for Rookie honors, but will pull up short due to the difference in teams. Still, Blaney is poised to have a very good 2016 racing for Wood Brothers Racing.
3. Brian Scott
Car: 9
Owner: Richard Petty Motorsports
Manufacturer: Ford
Scott has turned in the hard work and years of racing in NASCAR's lower divisions to finally be rewarded with his first full-time opportunity in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports awarded him the seat of the No. 9 Ford, which was Sam Hornish Jr.'s ride last season. Scott has two victories in his truck series resume and 77 Top 10's in his Xfinity Series resume. Over the last five seasons, Scott has been a fixture in the Top 10 of the Xfinity Series driver standings, and he's shown the ability to be very competitive in good equipment. He'll be paired with crew chief Chris Heroy in season one and he'll throw his hat in the very competitive ring for Rookie of the Year in 2016. Scott's 17 starts of Sprint Cup Series experience spread over the last three years will serve him well in the upcoming season. He should rack up four or five top-10 finishes in this rookie campaign and have some bright spots to point to once we reach Homestead in November.
4. Chris Buescher
Car: 34
Owner: Front Row Motorsports
Manufacturer: Ford
The 2015 Xfinity Series champion is another big talent in what is a very deep rookie class this year. Buescher grabbed two wins and 20 Top 10's last season to claim the championship in the Xfinity Series. Roush Fenway Racing wasn't able to fit him in the regular roster of teams, but they've formed a technical alliance with Front Row Motorsports and put him in the No. 34 Ford in 2016. He takes over the ride that was formerly David Ragan's for the last several years, and he'll look to compete for ROTY honors this season. While he faces an uphill battle from that perspective, there's good reason to believe Buescher will have some limited success in the upcoming campaign. A handful of Top 10's are within the realm of possibility and Front Row always puts fast cars on the super speedway ovals. The young driver should challenge the Top 25 of the driver standings and have a solid season in a very competitive rookie class.
5. Ty Dillon
Car: TBD
Owner: Richard Childress - TBD
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
The younger brother of Austin Dillon is expected to race full-time in the Xfinity Series and compete for that championship once again this season. However, Richard Childress has stated that Dillon's forays into the Sprint Cup Series will increase this year but will depend largely on sponsorship. He could potentially race full-time in a fourth Childress car if sponsorship works out, although it's not likely. What's more likely is that Dillon will race another part-time effort in 2016 either in an RCR car or in Circle Sport Racing's No. 33 Chevrolet, which is affiliated with Childress. The young driver has four combined victories between the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series and 88 top-10 finishes combined over the last five seasons. The talent is clearly there, but the role should be limited in 2016, so success will be on the light side. We look to Dillon making a bigger splash at NASCAR's top level in 2017.
6. Jeffrey Earnhardt
Car: 32
Owner: Go FAS Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
The surprise face of this season's rookie class is Earnhardt. The son of former NASCAR driver, Kerry Earnhardt, and grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt was awarded the seat of the No. 32 Ford at Go FAS Racing for 2016. He'll share that ride with Bobby Labonte and possibly Boris Said in the upcoming season. Those two veterans will take the four super speedway and two road course starts, leaving the other 30 events to the young driver. Earnhardt will compete for Rookie of the Year in what is an extremely deep and competitive rookie field this season. Success will be measured in small increments considering the small size of this team and the limited experience (two starts) that Earnhardt has in Sprint Cup cars. Leadership will be provided by crew chief Clint Cram and the season will be an on-the-job learning experience for this young driver.
The transition from the Xfinity Series or Camping World Truck Series to the top division of NASCAR is always a big adjustment for young drivers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s performance in 2013 and Austin Dillon's performance in 2014 are good examples of how even future stars takes some time to adjust to NASCAR's top racing series.
We'll look at the ROTY candidates and some of the young, up-and-coming drivers who will make part-time starts in the Sprint Cup Series this season, and give you some in-depth analysis on which rookies are the ones to watch closely this season.
1. Chase Elliott
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| ARCA Series | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| K&N Pro Series East | 26 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 15 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Xfinity Series | 66 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 53 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For the first time in 23 years there will be a different driver behind the wheel of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. Gone is Jeff Gordon, who won four championships and 93 races is now gone and his name is etched in NASCAR lore. Now the baton is passed to the super-talented Elliott. In just three short years of racing in NASCAR's lower divisions, he's racked up one championship (Xfinity), five victories and 60 top-10 finishes. The potential for success right out of the gates in the Sprint Cup Series is tantalizing. Not only is Elliott the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year from day one, he's got the skill and team to compete for a Chase berth in season one. Elliott got a cup of coffee in the top division last season with five starts in a fifth Hendrick car. While those efforts only yielded three top-20 finishes, much more is expected once he takes control of the No. 24 Chevrolet and is teamed with seasoned crew chief Alan Gustafson. NAPA will head up a strong sponsorship package and Elliott will be given the tools to succeed right away.
2. Ryan Blaney
Car: 21
Owner: Wood Brothers Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| K&N Pro Series East | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| ARCA Series | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 58 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 40 |
| Xfinity Series | 43 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 33 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Blaney comes with a great rookie pedigree, just like Chase Elliott, although he'll be racing for a much smaller and resource-limited team at Wood Brothers Racing. The No. 21 Ford will return to full-time Sprint Cup Series competition for the first time in nine years. Due to this, some ups-and-downs are to be expected. However, Blaney's talent yielded eight combined victories between the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series in just four seasons of competition. He also claimed a runner-up finish in the truck series standings in 2014. Blaney has managed 18 combined starts in NASCAR's top division over the last two years, so he has a good bit more experience in Cup cars than Elliott. That experience should help tremendously. Blaney has the skill and the team has the equipment for him to claim 5-7 top-10 finishes in his first full season. He'll press Elliott as hard as possible for Rookie honors, but will pull up short due to the difference in teams. Still, Blaney is poised to have a very good 2016 racing for Wood Brothers Racing.
3. Brian Scott
Car: 9
Owner: Richard Petty Motorsports
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| ARCA Series | 11 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 62 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 23 |
| Xfinity Series | 208 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 77 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Scott has turned in the hard work and years of racing in NASCAR's lower divisions to finally be rewarded with his first full-time opportunity in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports awarded him the seat of the No. 9 Ford, which was Sam Hornish Jr.'s ride last season. Scott has two victories in his truck series resume and 77 Top 10's in his Xfinity Series resume. Over the last five seasons, Scott has been a fixture in the Top 10 of the Xfinity Series driver standings, and he's shown the ability to be very competitive in good equipment. He'll be paired with crew chief Chris Heroy in season one and he'll throw his hat in the very competitive ring for Rookie of the Year in 2016. Scott's 17 starts of Sprint Cup Series experience spread over the last three years will serve him well in the upcoming season. He should rack up four or five top-10 finishes in this rookie campaign and have some bright spots to point to once we reach Homestead in November.
4. Chris Buescher
Car: 34
Owner: Front Row Motorsports
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| ARCA Series | 57 | 10 | 5 | 33 | 43 |
| Xfinity Series | 74 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 36 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The 2015 Xfinity Series champion is another big talent in what is a very deep rookie class this year. Buescher grabbed two wins and 20 Top 10's last season to claim the championship in the Xfinity Series. Roush Fenway Racing wasn't able to fit him in the regular roster of teams, but they've formed a technical alliance with Front Row Motorsports and put him in the No. 34 Ford in 2016. He takes over the ride that was formerly David Ragan's for the last several years, and he'll look to compete for ROTY honors this season. While he faces an uphill battle from that perspective, there's good reason to believe Buescher will have some limited success in the upcoming campaign. A handful of Top 10's are within the realm of possibility and Front Row always puts fast cars on the super speedway ovals. The young driver should challenge the Top 25 of the driver standings and have a solid season in a very competitive rookie class.
5. Ty Dillon
Car: TBD
Owner: Richard Childress - TBD
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| K&N Pro Series East | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| ARCA Series | 22 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 19 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 53 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 35 |
| Xfinity Series | 78 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 53 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The younger brother of Austin Dillon is expected to race full-time in the Xfinity Series and compete for that championship once again this season. However, Richard Childress has stated that Dillon's forays into the Sprint Cup Series will increase this year but will depend largely on sponsorship. He could potentially race full-time in a fourth Childress car if sponsorship works out, although it's not likely. What's more likely is that Dillon will race another part-time effort in 2016 either in an RCR car or in Circle Sport Racing's No. 33 Chevrolet, which is affiliated with Childress. The young driver has four combined victories between the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series and 88 top-10 finishes combined over the last five seasons. The talent is clearly there, but the role should be limited in 2016, so success will be on the light side. We look to Dillon making a bigger splash at NASCAR's top level in 2017.
6. Jeffrey Earnhardt
Car: 32
Owner: Go FAS Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| K&N Pro Series East | 25 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 13 |
| Camping World Truck Series | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Xfinity Series | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint Cup Series | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The surprise face of this season's rookie class is Earnhardt. The son of former NASCAR driver, Kerry Earnhardt, and grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt was awarded the seat of the No. 32 Ford at Go FAS Racing for 2016. He'll share that ride with Bobby Labonte and possibly Boris Said in the upcoming season. Those two veterans will take the four super speedway and two road course starts, leaving the other 30 events to the young driver. Earnhardt will compete for Rookie of the Year in what is an extremely deep and competitive rookie field this season. Success will be measured in small increments considering the small size of this team and the limited experience (two starts) that Earnhardt has in Sprint Cup cars. Leadership will be provided by crew chief Clint Cram and the season will be an on-the-job learning experience for this young driver.
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