All the focus in the NASCAR Cup Series is on the final standings at the end of the season and who makes it to the playoffs. But an interesting storm is brewing in the NASCAR Rookie of the Year standings as well. Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Cole Custer, and John Hunter Nemechek are the top contenders for the title.

Despite being behind Reddick and Bell in the standings, Cole Custer is currently the favorite to bag the coveted prize.
Custer is the only one from the contenders to win a race so far this season.

This puts him directly in the Cup Series playoffs and he will finish in the Top-16 despite his final position in the points system.

What the Rookie of the Year standings look like

The Rookie of the Year is awarded to the rookie who finishes highest in the final standings. So if a driver has a race win under his belt, he is automatically at the top of the field if none of the other drivers have won a race.

Seemingly things worked out quite well in favor of Custer.

In the Rookie of the Year standings, Tyler Reddick of Richard Childress Racing is currently the leader with 501 points to his name. Reddick has one playoff point, courtesy of a stage win.

He is followed by Leavine Family Racing’s Christopher Bell with 415 points, 86 points off the leader. Cole Custer is in third place with 396 points. He has five playoff points already owing to his race win.

Cole Custer is the current favorite

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55 points behind him is John Hunter Nemechek with 341 points. Brennan Poole and Quin Houff round off the Top-6 with 154 points and 121 points, respectively. Custer is the only one of them with a win this season.

FOX Sports’ NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass also offered some clarity on the same. “Rookie of the Year is the rookie who finishes the highest in the final standings.

“So if Custer makes the playoffs and no other rookie makes the playoffs, Custer is the rookie of the year,” Pockrass wrote, replying to a Twitter user’s query.

Daniel Hemric was the NASCAR Rookie of the Year winner last season.

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