NHRA Rookies Line Up
Written by David Lamm · October 15, 2004
The NHRA released the top candidates in line for the 2004 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, honoring the year’s top rookie in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. This year’s crop of nominees is just about as good as they come. With all three drivers having great years the choice could be a nail biter all the way down to the wire, right? Not in my opinion.
Dragracecentral.com: Line, Lucas and Medlen are Top Nominees for 2004 Auto Club Road to the Future Award
The top three rookies considered for the rookie of the year award include Jason Line in Pro Stock, Morgan Lucas in Top Fuel and Eric Medlen in Funny Car. At the beginning of the season most thought the race for the rookie of the year would be a battle between Line and Medlen. With the tragic death of Darrell Russell, Morgan Lucas has filled in for team owner Joe Amato but will only have eight races to showcase his talents. The fact that Lucas joined the series so late in the season combined with both Line and Medlen have great years themselves will preclude him from being considered a legitimate candidate. Last month we touched on this very topic and asked “Should Morgan Lucas have waited?”
So now we are down to two young pups that are bona fide contenders for the Rookie of the Year award. Let’s compare there two drivers head to head. (I understand it is nearly impossible to compare two drivers that drive in two different categories but I’ll do my best.) First and foremost, let’s take a look at wins. With two races left to go in the season Line has four wins, Medlen only once; advantage Line. What about No. 1 qualifying positions? Line has one while Medlen has two; advantage Medlen. Do keep in mind that Line competes in the same class as Greg Anderson who claimed the pole at 15 of the total 21 races already completed. Earning just one No. 1 qualifier in that class is a feat in itself. By comparison, John Force leads the Funny Car class with six No. 1 qualifying spots so there were a lot more opportunities for Medlen to sit on the pole than Line. How about final round appearances? Line reached the final round six times while Medlen advanced to the final race of the day twice; advantage Line. We all know that earning a championship is all about consistency so semifinal appearances are important, right? Line made it to the semis five times while Medlen advance that far seven times; advantage Medlen. Obviously exiting in the first round is never a good thing and both drivers suffered six first round losses, so that stat is a push. The final statistic of any relevance is the final position in the POWERade points standings. We won’t know the final standings until the completion of the Pomona, Calif. event but currently Line is second while Medlen is fifth; advantage Line.
In the past the nitro burners have dominated the Rookie of the Year voting. Over the past ten years, seven drivers in either Funny Car or Top Fuel have walked away with the rookie award. This year will mark another chapter when a Pro Stock driver joins the ranks of Gene Wilson, Jeg Coughlin, Mike Edwards and Kurt Johnson as the Rookie of the Year. You heard it here first; Jason Line is your 2004 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future award winner.
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