Sunoco to sponsor Indy 500 Rookie-of-the-Year award; rookies have milk luncheon

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The number of rookies in this year’s Indianapolis 500 is seven, three more than last year. George Costanza might like the number; so might 7UP if it opted to sponsor the award.

But the sponsor of this year’s Indy 500 Rookie-of-the-Year award for the seven drivers is a classic, in Sunoco. It was named as such by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Wednesday morning.

Sunoco’s history in motorsports dates to the 1960s, and it also serves as the current season-long Rookie-of-the-Year sponsor for the Verizon IndyCar Series. This is a natural extension.

“The Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award has long been one of the most coveted honors that a first year driver in the race can receive and the list of its recipients is a ‘Who’s Who’ among professional racing drivers,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “What makes the award exciting is that a driver who might not have had the best of practice or qualifying leading up to the race, could put it all together on race day and make a strong showing when it really counts. We are looking forward to seeing who that Sunoco Rookie of the Year is for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”

On Tuesday, before they went to Louisville, the six rookies in the field not named Kurt Busch gathered for the 40th annual Fastest Rookie of the Year luncheon presented by the American Dairy Association Indiana.

Busch was the fastest rookie this year at 230.782 and will roll off 12th, but went to New York on Tuesday for his round of media commitments. Still, he appreciated the honor.

“It’s a very prestigious award and to be able post the fastest time was through a bunch of hard work by the Andretti Autosport team,” Busch said, via IndyCar.com. “When you’re a rookie you’re always driving down a road that you’ve never been down before, and my past experience might have helped out just a little bit with my knowing this racetrack.”

The remaining six – Jack Hawksworth (starts 13th), Mikhail Aleshin (15th), Carlos Huertas (21st), James Davison (28th), Martin Plowman (29th) and Sage Karam (31st) – will be seeking to knock Busch off the ROTY perch for the month of May and take home the prestigious award.

It’s always one of the best subplots of the race.

Seattle Supercross by the numbers: Three riders separated by 17 points

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Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers
Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

More SuperMotocross coverage

How to Watch Seattle Supercross
Dylan Ferrandis may return before SX finale
SMX develops “Leader Lights”
Power Rankings after Detroit
Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan
Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points