Written by Sean McKean, Edited by Gabriel Tsui
With the playoffs right around the corner, there are a few rookie drivers who have stolen some headlines – at times, for the wrong reasons. As is our yearly tradition since 2022, it’s time to dissect the good and the bad from the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series rookie class.
Josh Berry
It should be no surprise that the oldest driver in the rookie class is the highest ranked in the standings – currently sitting at 22nd and 164 points away from the playoff cut line.
After two successful Xfinity seasons with JR Motorsports – highlighted by his 2022 season where he took five victories and finished third in the standings – Berry joined the Stewart-Haas Racing team for 2024. With SHR being a team on its way to exit the series, though, pairing that circumstance with an inexperienced driver usually does not bode well.
However, he has exceeded expectations. Berry has two top-five finishes on the year, and they were in races where the driver’s skill proved paramount: Darlington and New Hampshire. His experience in the Northeastern short-track scene shines in races where conditions are difficult.
But, how does the rest of the season look for Berry? With him being so far back from the cut-line with four races left, he will need a victory to get in; although, the tracks coming up are places he’s historically performed well at – specifically Darlington and Daytona.
Carson Hocevar
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Carson Hocevar. At only 21 years of age, Hocevar stepped into the #77 Spire Motorsports car following a four-win Truck season, in which he nearly won the title.
However, amidst the headlines around his raw pace were also ones about his aggression. In the Truck series, his antics of colliding with others and even intentionally causing cautions did not win many fans over.
Those antics, to the dismay of fans, have carried over to the Cup Series. Being so deep in the midfield, it’s not surprising to see a young driver get their elbows out to gain every inch, but during instances such as Nashville – where he intentionally spun Harrison Burton under caution – does not help his already dwindling image.
Aside from that, his season has gone surprisingly well. He sits 24th in the standings, 169 points back from the cut-line, alongside two top-ten finishes on the year. Furthermore, his first top-ten finish of the year at Texas was the first to be done by a Spire Motorsports driver at a non-superspeedway track.
How will the rest of his season go? Well, similar to Berry, he will need a trip to victory lane to get into the playoffs. With the Spire car not being the fastest on a week-by-week basis, an upset at Daytona would be the most likely way he secures a playoff berth.
Zane Smith
Perhaps the most anticipated rookie going into this season, joining the #71 Spire Motorsports car in partnership with Trackhouse racing, Zane Smith ’s year has not gone to plan following a successful stint in Trucks that featured a championship in 2022.
His season has been a story of highs and lows. The lows are very low, having only finished in the top 20 four times whilst teammates Corey Lajoie and the aforementioned Hocevar were consistently there.
However, he achieved his highest point thus far in an unexpected way. In a race that featured the most overtimes in Cup Series history, the 2022 Truck champion saved fuel and held on to finish second – nearly beating Joey Logano to take victory despite a hard-charging Tyler Reddick.
His finishes since this race have looked much more promising –only finishing outside the top 20 once in Pocono.
As for the rest of his campaign, he’s already looking forward to 2025. A member of the Trackhouse Development Programme, Smith will definitely be eyeing a jump to the main team with rumours of Trackhouse being interested in acquiring a third charter.
However, with Shane van Gisbergen exceeding expectations in the Xfinity Series, he will have to finish this season with great results to be considered.
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