NASCAR Rookie of the Year

Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year.

The Rookie of the Year award for NASCAR's premier series was first presented to a driver named Blackie Pitt by Houston Lawing, NASCAR's Public Relations director, in 1954.

[citation needed] From the 1958 through the 1973 seasons, NASCAR did not have an official points system to determine the Rookie of the Year, so NASCAR's officials merely gathered together to select a winner.

Drivers competing for the award must display the Sunoco contingency decal.

[citation needed] Eligibility for Rookie of the Year has changed several times over the history of NASCAR.