Rookie of the Year

[wodonnell]

How come Dan Wheldon has been given ROTY when:

A) he raced in the series last year, and
B) this was Scott Dixons first season?

[Down F0rce]

Dan had only two races last year, I think you need to run a full season to lose the "rookie" status.

Scott has previous experience in Indy Style racing (CART) so he dosent count as a rookie.

Hope that answers your question

[Testure]

I wondered about that too. So none of the people that have moved from CART this year are counted as rookies... That doesn't make much sense to me - drivers used to running mostly road coarses aren't rookies, but drivers who move up from, say, IPS are? I'd certainly count Dixon as a rookie who just won the championship in his first year, what to the other people reading here think?

[marcus]

hard to say on that one.

but the rookie status I believe is taken away after three races in a season.

for example Ed carpenter ran the last three rounds and if he gets a drive next year will be considered a rookie because he only did 3 rounds (this I think is why he only did 3)

as for Scott Dixon , I dunno its hard to say , he WAS a rokkie in IRL terms but in general racing terms he is by no means a rookie.

I just cant come up with a straight answer on this at all.

[wodonnell]

Nigel Mansell won the F1 championship in 1992 but won the Indycar (CART) Series in 1993 and also ROTY!

I am sure that if, for example, Sam Hornish was to contest the 2004 CART series (I know thats not going to happen), he would be eligible for ROTY.

[marcus]

yep thats true , im not sure why the IRL do it that way but thats the way they do it

[BootsOntheSide]

Being new to US-style racing at the top level, especially the ovals, is the criterea for being a rookie. Thus, defining Mansell and Wheldon as rookies, but not Dixon (or Castroneves last year) seems like the msot sensible approach. The guys converting from CART haven't had anything particualrly new to learn (otehr than the exact cars, but those are new for everyone), so tehy shouldn't be compared to the newcomers

[wodonnell]

If a driver works his way up the IRL ladder s/he can have had several years racing on ovals. Would s/he still be classed as a rookie?

Surely someone who has done 2 years racing on IRL circuits is going to be more experienced than a CART driver who has done maybe half a dozen oval races?

[paul-collins]

When Graham Hill came over for his first Indy, he was made to go through the rookie test. He was reigning F1 champion at the time.

Did Scott Dixon try to qualify for the 500 last year?

[Russfeld]

No, but he had what they call significant high speed oval experience (ie he'd been to Fontana) so he didnt have to take it.

[paul-collins]

I was wondering more if they considered having taken the rookie test, say, last year as removing his "rookie status" this year. Since he hadn't, I guess I'm a bit mystified by his exclusion from the ROTY award.

[Zinger]

I think rookie of the year should be left for drivers that have come up to that level not from a parellel level or high level of the sport.