Which Rookie 2010?

[PabloTeK]

Now we're a good distance towards slowly limping our 3-wheeled IndyCar wagon into the sunset of the season I guess it's time to ask who's been your rookie for 2010? I'll leave it open for anyone who wants to vote afterwards but because all the tracks ahead aren't massively different (apart from Motegi with it being squashed at one end) from what we've had already I don't think it'll make much difference.

(N.B. These guys have been entered for at least 1 race)

[marcostraz]

I vote Hildebrand...I'd like to see him full time in 2011...for 2010, I think the best is Simona de Silvestro...

[NaBUru38]

Oops! I misread the poll. I believe that Sim will struggle in the mile-and-half ovals and Alex Lloyd will be the 2010 Rookie of the Year.

Carroll and Hildebrand had poor results, so they don't get my vote. Baguette only finished 11th at Mid-Ohio, Romancini 13rd at Indianapolis and Beatriz 13rd at Sao Paulo, so they don't get it either. The rest except Lloyd and De Silvestro obviously don't deserve any mentioning.

Alex had three Indycar races before this season, where he showed good performance. Coming from a nearly race-free year and having good results makes him a candidate. But Sim is much younger and didn't have experience with powerful cars or ovals, so she had larger hurdles. I'll vote after Homestead.

[icemachine]

I voted for Simona, I think she will eke it out ahead of Lloyd

[Jacques Rabbit]

The 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series Jim Guthrie Rookie of the Year Trophy winner Danica Patrick!

Or not.

Hmm...I like Simona the most, so I'm scared to let bias direct me toward saying her. Alex Lloyd's scored the most points, so surely it's him, though he's really actually been under the radar for me. Perhaps Simona's run better, but Lloyd's better at finishing...the former suggests potential for the future, the latter is what really matters at the end of the day, though.

The others either didn't impress me (Romancini, Dracone, Howard, and Saavedra) or massively disappointed me (Sato and Baguette) or ran too infrequently (Carroll, Hildebrand, and Beatriz), though Carroll and Hildebrand disappointed me in their select runs and Beatriz didn't impress me.

So, with all that, I cast my vote for Simona. Will she outscore Lloyd? I hope so, but another factor in my vote: I think of all of the full-time rookies, she has the brightest future (that isn't to say Baguette couldn't be something better in a different car; I think he could, and full-time covers my arse with guys like Carroll and Hildebrand who I still hope can meet their potential in solid rides in 2011).