Rookies all did well in Daytona 500 qualifying

[Joe Fan]

Here is how they qualified:

9th Scott Pruett
10th Dave Blaney
13th Stacy Compton
22nd Dale Earnhardt Jr.
25th Mike Bliss
28th Matt Kenseth

Not a bad showing from the rookie class. Their final Daytona 500 starting positions are still up in the air until the Twin 125's so I am sure that some will move up and some will move down. You can bank on Matt Kenseth moving up.

[Invader]

Impressed by Pruett's performance, beginners luck or what?

[Joe Fan]

Scott Pruett has raced at Daytona before in IROC in 1995 and 1996. He actually finished 2nd behind Dale Earnhardt in the 1995 Daytona IROC race and ended up third in the IROC standings that year behind Earnhardt and Martin. Daytona is a much easier track to qualify on than to race in. Former Craftsman Truck Series driver Mike Skinner sat on the pole at Daytona in only his second year and Tony Stewart sat on the outside pole his rookie year.

But give credit where credit is due. Pruett is a much more talented driver than people give him credit for. How he sat on the pole in the CART California race with a Toyota engine still baffles me. From what I have read, his team has been good right out of the box in testing.

So far it looks like Matt Kenseth (who I feel is the most talented driver of the rookie crop) isn't going to have the equipment I thought he was going to have so Scott Pruett looks like the early favorite for Rookie of the Year.

What is more impressive is the qualifying performances of Dave Blaney and Stacy Compton. Especially Stacy Compton who came from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series (which never raced at Daytona in the couple of seasons he was in the series) qualifying as high as he did in the midpack at best ride that he is in. I don't think Stacy Compton has ever raced at Daytona before (I'll check later).

[This message has been edited by Joe Fan (edited 13 February 2000).]