Remembering one of the most unlikely rookie winners of all
NASCAR Sprint Cup rookies of today seem to fare much better competitively than in the past. In the wake of Joey Logano’s victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates have combined to win 19 races since 1999. Several (Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin) won more than once their rookie year.
All of them benefited from NASCAR’s ongoing youth movement and raced with top-flight teams, an advantage not afforded their predecessors.
NASCAR began a rookie of the year program in 1957. From that year until 1999 – a span of 42 years – only six rookies won a race.
One of them was Earl Ross from Alisa Craig, Ontario, Canada. After three starts in 1973, he made 21 more in 1974 – officially his rookie season – won once and is perhaps the most unheralded, unlikeliest rookie of the year of them all.
Ross may have never competed in NASCAR in ’74 had a Canadian brewery not fashioned a deal with a couple of the sport’s most successful team owners.
Carling Brewing Co. decided it wanted to establish a stronger foothold in NASCAR after its inaugural effort as the sponsor for 1972 rookie of the year Larry Smith.
Midway through the 1974 season, it approached team owner Junior Johnson and co-owner Richard Howard and inquired if they would be interested in forming a second team. At the time, Johnson and Howard fielded Chevrolets for Cale Yarborough, who was beginning what would be a long, vastly successful tenure.
Carling made a most unusual offer. Instead of being simply the team’s sponsor, it would buy the entire assets of Junior Johnson & Associates, which would effectively establish a Canadian team in NASCAR, with the logo of a Canadian company and with a Canadian driver – Ross.
That had never happened before in NASCAR and it hasn’t happened since.
Howard and Johnson accepted the deal, which was to last through 1974 and the first part of 1975, with an option for three more years.
Ross, 32, made his debut with Johnson in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona on July 4 and finished 13th.
Thereafter, he didn’t attract much attention until the 25th race of the season, at Dover. He started eighth and finished third, albeit nine laps behind winner Richard Petty.
The next week at North Wilkesboro, Ross wound up fourth, six laps behind teammate Yarborough, the winner.
Ross certainly wasn’t competitive. Yet he had earned two top-five finishes in consecutive races. No one could have anticipated what happened next.
The Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville on Sept. 29 was Yarborough’s race to lose – which he did.
He took the lead on lap 184 of 500 and before long put the entire field a lap down. He was cruising.
But on lap 421 the engine in his Chevrolet failed.
As fate would have it, Ross was next in line. He inherited the lead, but was challenged by Buddy Baker, then driving a Ford for Bud Moore.
Few gave Ross a chance. But then he caught a break – as most winning rookies do.
Baker spun out with less than 20 laps to go, which sealed the unexpected victory for Ross.
Even Ross was startled by the outcome.
“I never thought I’d win this soon,” he said.
When the 1974 season ended, Ross had a record of 21 starts, one victory and five top-five finishes. He was the only rookie among the top 10 in the final point standings,
finishing eighth, and was a shoo-in for rookie of the year.
But, as suddenly as Ross entered NASCAR, he was gone.
Carling abruptly pulled out of its deal with Johnson. The arrangement lasted just four months instead of a potential four years.
Johnson, without a sponsor, was stunned. He was left at loose ends – but not for long.
Carling offered a buyout. Johnson held out until he got the arrangement he wanted. He bought his team back for about 10 cents on the dollar.
After that memorable afternoon at Martinsville, Ross ran a total of only five more NASCAR Cup races in his career.
