Rookie of The Year
Kevin Harvick emerged as the victor of the Rookie of the Year battle despite not declaring for the award until the second race of the season, as he took over for Dale Earnhardt following his fatal crash. Harvick won two races and finished ninth in season points. Kurt Busch finished second, despite only having one year of experience in a major NASCAR series. Third-place finisher Casey Atwood was pre-season favorite, but was held back due to a rough start and only finished 26th in points. Jason Leffler had a sub-par season that cost him his job with Chip Ganassi Racing, and Ron Hornaday was a disappointment after years of success in the Busch and Truck series. The last-place driver was Andy Houston, another pre-season favorite, had a tough season that resulted in his schedule being reduced.
Read more about this topic: 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Famous quotes containing the word year:
“He bends to the order of the seasons, the weather, the soils and crops, as the sails of a ship bend to the wind. He represents continuous hard labor, year in, year out, and small gains. He is a slow person, timed to Nature, and not to city watches. He takes the pace of seasons, plants and chemistry. Nature never hurries: atom by atom, little by little, she achieves her work.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)