Daytona 500 2000 - 'Other' rookies stealing Daytona show

'Other' rookies stealing Daytona show
by Ron Buck, ESPN.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When it comes to the 2000 Winston Cup season, they are the other rookies. The guys without a seven-time Winston Cup champion as their father. The fellas who don't hang out at the Earnhardt house. The drivers who aren't expected to challenge for rookie of the year honors.

Talented, to be sure, the underclass of 2000 didn't exactly come into Speedweeks below the rookie radar. When you're part of the most talented and anticipated rookie class in recent memory, it's impossible to be completely ignored. But more often than not, their names were mentioned only after those of Dale Earnhardt Jr.and Matt Kenseth.


	Dave Blaney is one of those "other" rookies in a talented 2000 class of newcomers.

Until Saturday, that is, when Scott Pruett, Dave Blaney and Stacy Compton put their names ahead of Earnhardt Jr. and Kenseth on the Daytona 500 qualifying grid.

Determined to turn a few heads before Speedweeks ended, the Fords of Pruett and Blaney caused whiplash with top-10 speeds. Stacy Compton -- and not Earnhardt or Kenseth -- was the only other rookie among the top 15. For the record, "Little E" was 22nd and Kenseth was 28th. One of those other rookies, Mike Bliss, fell in between at No. 25.

It was only two laps of a 34-race season, but those five miles came on NASCAR's largest stage. And while Earnhardt Jr. and Kenseth may end up garnering most of the headlines this season, the rookie story so far at Daytona can be found in those other garages.

The story starts with Pruett's familiar-looking, but all-new Tide Racing operation under team owner Cal Wells. The two were together a year ago in CART, where Pruett was a rookie of the year and spent 10 years racing Indy cars. Yes, Pruett is also among the latest group of open-wheel drivers to make the switch to Winston Cup.

Sound familiar? It should. Pruett even has the same sound bite rehearsed as last year's rookie sensation Tony Stewart. "Our focus is just to make every race," Pruett could be heard saying Monday after practice. Pruett, however, candidly admits his team was a bit disappointed by its ninth-best showing Saturday. It was expecting a top-5 speed.

But like any first-year team, Pruett knows the challenges that lie ahead for his first-year team.

"We have to be realistic coming in, but that's not to say we take away our goals or desire to be up front week in and week out," Pruett says. "You have to realistic, because even with the best set of circumstances -- a brand new team coming in with a veteran driver -- it's tough. Even a brand new driver on veteran team is tough. (We) have a brand new team and brand new driver -- it's tough in both cases.

"We certainly wanted to come into Daytona and run strong. But we're not racing against the other rookies. It's a talented class. Earnhardt, Kenseth, Blaney, Bliss -- those guys are tough. But we are racing against everybody else -- that's what I've said from the outset. If we do our jobs right, we'll be in the hunt for that rookie title. The worst thing we can do is get caught up racing against the wrong people."

Pruett and the rest of the Class of 2000 will get their first opportunity to race anyone in Winston Cup on Thursday. Pruett is in the first of the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying races. He'll start on the inside of Row 3, in a line behind Mark Martin and pole-sitter Dale Jarrett. He got a feel for the Daytona draft Monday in race trim and was eighth-quickest in practice.

"I have a lot to learn, especially as we move into the 125s," says Pruett, who has run IROC races at Daytona in the past. "I've been accepted so far in the garage area, but we'll find out how well (the veterans) accept me in the 125s. If you have a strong car, you should be accepted pretty quick."

Blaney starts in the same spot as Pruett in the second Twin 125. He will have his teammate Ward Burton directly in front of him. For the past two Busch Series seasons, team owner Bill Davis has groomed Blaney to be Burton's teammate. Blaney says he and his team have "graduated" to Winston Cup together.

STEWART'S TAKE

Here's what 1999 rookie of the year Tony Stewart had to say Monday about this year's class of rookie drivers.
How would you rate this year's rookie class?
"I'd rate 'em pretty high because I'll probably be going to those guys asking for advice. They've got a really good batch of credentials and they're all here because they deserve to be in Winston Cup. I think they're going to be just fine. I think what The Home Depot team did this past year, that there's a good possibility that it could be overshadowed pretty quickly this year."
Are there any rookies in particular that you think will stand out over the rest?
"Obviously Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Dave Blaney are the three that come to my mind right off the bat. Those guys have always run quick in whatever cars they've been in. The championship battles that they've had the last couple of years prove that they're going to be contenders this year."
What adjustments will this year's rookies have to make?
"I think they're used to semi-long races. All three of those guys ran five Winston Cup races and ran some longer races so they're accustomed to it. I don't think there's a lot they're going to have to adjust to this year. They're going to be just fine."

Oh, in case you got caught up with the Earnhardt-Kenseth Busch Series points battle last year and forgot to look a little further down the list, Blaney finished seventh.

But like Pruett, Bliss and both Earnhardt and Kenseth, Blaney knows he comes into a situation at Amoco Racing that most rookies only dream about. The 2000 rookie class' talent may only be exceeded by its financial backing. Earnhardt Jr. has Budweiser behind him. Kenseth has the resources of Roush Racing. The coveted Tide Ride now belongs to Pruett, while Mike Bliss was chosen to navigate A.J. Foyt's return to Winston Cup with Conseco's cash.

"It's going to be a big accomplishment to whoever wins the rookie of the year," Blaney says. "All the talent, and money behind (us), just brings a little more attention to the rookies.

"We've got a good race team, and we are going to do all we can do. If we can qualify up front, great. If we can run up front, great. The main thing is we want to run all day and learn as much as we can and get a solid finish, wherever that may be."

Both Bliss and Pruett's accomplishments are made even more impressive considering their teams have been together for all of six months. In the case of Bliss, the Conseco team's motorshop's drywall was still being installed as the team was building its first line of engines.

But with the veteran Craftsman Trucks Series driver Bliss, the No. 14 team has a driver who will be familiar with most of the Winston Cup tracks. The team around Bliss is also a veteran group of mechanics who only have to ask the owner, Foyt, if a problem arises it can't solve.

"This team, it's not like it's a bunch of rookies. It's not like this is the first time they are doing this. It's not a rookie operation," Bliss says. "I'm the one who has to learn the most. It's going to be hard here at Daytona, because nobody is going to want to get behind me. I'm not known to be fast here. But if I can do well in the 125s, that's where the respect will come.

"But it's an honor to have A.J. pick me as his driver. It's so hard to get a ride in Winston Cup. And here I am, driving A.J. Foyt's car in Winston Cup. If I thought I would ever drive for A.J., it would have been in Indy cars."

Compton is another trucker who arrives in Winston Cup, but he does so with the established Melling Racing team. Compton will drive the No. 9 Kodiak Ford.

Pruett, Blaney, Bliss and Compton are four rookies who may just give the "Big Two" a run for their rookie of the year money. One thing is for sure, it shouldn't turn into the runaway last year's race was when Tony Stewart won a record three races and set new standards for first-year drivers.

By the way, does the "Rushville Rocket" have any advice for this year's class?

"No, I'm going to be asking them for advice. They don't need any of my help. That's one very talented rookie class."

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