IndyCar Rookie of the Year
The following is a list compiling all the winners of the Rookie of the Year award in open wheel American Championship Car Racing from 1946 season to the present day. Before the creation of Championship Auto Racing Teams the prize is not officially awarded. So all of the AAA and USAC winners of the Rookie of the Year award is not officially recognized. The list of "Indy car" or "Champ car" rookies under the following auspices:
- American Automobile Association Contest Board (1946–1955)
- United States Automobile Club (1956–1980)
- Championship Auto Racing Teams (1979–2007)
- Indy Racing League/IndyCar Series (1997–present)
Sanctioning bodies
The AAA Contest Board began sanctioning races as early as 1904. In the early years of the sport, only two seasons (1905 and 1916) an official national championship was recognized and awarded.
The 1946 season is a source of a statistical anomaly. The AAA Contest Board included a substantial number of "Big Car" races in the national championship for 1946, swelling the season to 77 events (6 Champ Car races and 71 Big Car races). Some later texts chose to dismiss the 71 Big Car races from record, but reliable records and historians contend that the season should be regarded as the full 77-race schedule.
Officially, Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year Award named after the late founder of the two-time champion TrueSports Racing Team, it's presented from 1979 Season to 2007 Season to the rookie who accumulates the most Champ Car Championship Series points among first year drivers.
Rookie of the Year winners
AAA and USAC Rookie of the Year winners
AAA National Motor Car Championship | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Rookie of the Year winners | Driver standings | Wins | Team | ||
1946 | ![]() |
4 | ||||
1947 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | |||
1948 | ![]() |
8 | ||||
1949 | ![]() |
17 | 1 | |||
1950 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | |||
1951 | ![]() |
5 | ||||
1952 | ![]() |
9 | ||||
1953 | ![]() |
16 | ||||
1954 | ![]() |
11 | ||||
1955 | ![]() |
9 | ||||
USAC National Championship | ||||||
Year | Rookie of the Year winners | Driver standings | Wins | Team | ||
1956 | ![]() |
22 | 1 | |||
1957 | ![]() |
26 | ||||
1958 | ![]() |
18 | ||||
1959 | ![]() |
21 | 1 | |||
1960 | ![]() |
18 | ||||
1961 | ![]() |
8 | ||||
1962 | ![]() |
25 | ||||
1963 | ![]() |
6 | 1 | |||
1964 | ![]() |
11 | ||||
1965 | ![]() |
23 | ||||
1966 | ![]() |
16 | ||||
1967 | ![]() |
27 | ||||
1968 | ![]() |
24 | ||||
1969 | ![]() |
24 | ||||
1970 | ![]() |
10 | ||||
1971 | ![]() |
24 | ||||
1972 | ![]() |
6 | ||||
1973 | ![]() |
31 | ||||
1974 | ![]() |
11 | ||||
1975 | ![]() |
24 | ||||
1976 | ![]() |
16 | Art Sugai Racing | |||
1977 | ![]() |
12 | 1 | Interscope Racing | ||
1978 | ![]() |
11 | ||||
1979 | ![]() |
12 | AMI Racing | |||
1980 | ![]() |
18 | Patrick Racing |
CART Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year winners
Season | Driver | Driver standings | Wins | Team | Chassis | Engine | Tyres |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | ![]() |
15 | WASP Racing | Goodyear | |||
1980 | ![]() |
12 | Rhoades Competition | Penske | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1981 | ![]() |
9 | Bob Fletcher Racing | Goodyear | |||
1982 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | Truesports | March 82C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear |
1983 | ![]() |
2 | 4 | Forsythe Racing | March 83C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear |
1984 | ![]() |
11 | Bignotti-Cotter Racing | March 84C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1985 | ![]() |
18 | Provimi Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1986 | ![]() |
30 | Leader Cards Racing | March 86C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1987 | ![]() |
12 | Arciero Racing | March 87C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1988 | ![]() |
11 | Arciero Racing | March 88C | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1989 | ![]() |
20 | Andale Racing | Lola | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1990 | ![]() |
9 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Penske PC-18 | Chevrolet A | Goodyear | |
1991 | ![]() |
15 | Bayside Disposal Racing | Lola | Cosworth DFX | Goodyear | |
1992 | ![]() |
14 | Bettenhausen Racing | Penske PC-20 | Chevrolet A | Goodyear | |
1993 | ![]() |
Champion | 5 | Newman/Haas Racing | Lola T93/00 | Ford XB | Goodyear |
1994 | ![]() |
6 | 1 | Forsythe Racing | Reynard 94i | Ford XB | Goodyear |
1995 | ![]() |
14 | 1 | Jim Hall Racing | Reynard 95i | Mercedes-Benz IC108 | Goodyear |
1996 | ![]() |
3 | 3 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Reynard 96i | Honda HRH | Firestone |
1997 | ![]() |
17 | Bettenhausen Racing | Reynard 97i | Mercedes-Benz IC108D | Goodyear | |
1998 | ![]() |
9 | Tasman Motorsports | Reynard 98i | Honda HRK | Firestone | |
1999 | ![]() |
Champion | 7 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Reynard 99i | Honda HRS | Firestone |
2000 | ![]() |
4 | Team Rahal | Reynard 2Ki | Ford Cosworth XF | Firestone | |
2001 | ![]() |
8 | 1 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 01i | Toyota RV8F | Firestone |
2002 | ![]() |
18 | 1 | Herdez Competition | Lola B02/00 | Ford Cosworth XF | Bridgestone |
2003 | ![]() |
4 | 3 | Newman/Haas Racing | Lola B02/00 | Ford Cosworth XFE | Bridgestone |
2004 | ![]() |
6 | RuSPORT | Lola B02/00 | Ford Cosworth XFE | Bridgestone | |
2005 | ![]() |
8 | Rocketsports Racing | Lola B02/00 | Ford Cosworth XFE | Bridgestone | |
2006 | ![]() |
6 | Team Australia | Lola B02/00 | Ford Cosworth XFE | Bridgestone | |
2007 | ![]() |
3 | 2 | Minardi Team USA | Panoz DP01 | Cosworth XFE | Bridgestone |
IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year winners
As of 2015 IndyCar Series season The Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the top-finishing rookie in the IndyCar Series Drivers point standings. Winner also receives a $50,000 bonus.
Season | Driver | Driver standings | Wins | Team | Chassis | Engine | Tyres |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | ![]() |
12 | 1 | Blueprint Racing | Lola T93/00 Dallara IR7 |
Menard V6 Buick V6 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 |
Firestone |
1998 | ![]() |
16 | Cheever Racing | G-Force GF01B Dallara IR8 |
Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Goodyear | |
1999 | ![]() |
14 | Harrington Motorsports | Dallara IR9 | Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 |
Firestone | |
2000 | ![]() |
16 | TeamXtreme | G-Force GF05 | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Firestone | |
2001 | ![]() |
6 | Treadway Racing | G-Force GF05B | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Firestone | |
2002 | ![]() |
12 | Conquest Racing | Dallara IR-02 | Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 | Firestone | |
2003 | ![]() |
11 | Andretti Green Racing | Dallara IR-03 | Honda HI3R V8 | Firestone | |
2004 | ![]() |
14 | Fernández Racing | G-Force GF09B | Honda HI4R V8 | Firestone | |
2005 | ![]() |
12 | Rahal Letterman Racing | Panoz GF09C | Honda HI5R V8 | Firestone | |
2006 | ![]() |
7 | 1 | Andretti Green Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI6R V8 | Firestone |
2007 | ![]() |
19 | Rahal Letterman Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 | Firestone | |
2008 | ![]() |
10 | Andretti Green Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 | Firestone | |
2009 | ![]() |
13 | Luczo-Dragon Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 | Firestone | |
2010 | ![]() |
16 | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 | Firestone | |
2011 | ![]() |
12 | Newman/Haas Racing | Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 | Firestone | |
2012 | ![]() |
5 | Sam Schmidt Motorsports | Dallara DW12 | Honda HI12TT V6t | Firestone | |
2013 | ![]() |
20 | Sam Schmidt Motorsports | Dallara DW12 | Honda HI13TT V6t | Firestone | |
2014 | ![]() |
8 | Andretti Autosport | Dallara DW12 | Honda HI14TT V6t | Firestone | |
2015 | ![]() |
15 | Bryan Herta Autosport | Dallara DW12 | Honda HI15TT V6t | Firestone | |
2016 | ![]() |
11 | 1 | Bryan Herta Autosport | Dallara DW12 | Honda HI16TT V6t | Firestone |
Notes
- Due to sanctioning body splits in the sport of American Open Wheel racing from 1979 to 2007, several years saw two separate Rookie of the Year Award winners for separately sanctioned championship circuits.
- Although 2003 Season was Scott Dixon's first year in IndyCar and he won the championship and also Tony Kanaan who finished 4-th in Drivers Standings and Toranosuke Takagi who finished 10th in Drivers Standings, they are not considered a rookies because of earlier ChampCar experience.