NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

NHRA has announced the eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors in contention for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. 

The eight racers eligible for this year’s award include Top Fuel’s Jasmine Salinas, Tony Stewart, and Ida Zetterström; Funny Car’s Daniel Wilkerson; Pro Stock’s Brandon Foster, Derrick Reese, and Sienna Wildgust; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson. 

Salinas joined the Top Fuel ranks in Phoenix when she stepped in for her father, Mike. Salinas has three quarterfinal-round finishes. Her best qualifying effort came in Seattle, where she qualified fifth. 

Stewart, a motorsports legend, stepped into the seat of his Top Fuel car at the start of the 2024 season after starting up his nitro team in 2022. Stewart has advanced to two final-round appearances, including the Las Vegas four-wide event and Sonoma race. 

Zetterström is a European drag racing champion and made her NHRA debut in Brainerd this season, where she advanced to the semifinals after defeating former champion Steve Torrence in the first round. 

Funny Car driver Wilkerson took over driving duties in 2024 after his father and long-time tuner, Tim Wilkerson, retired. Wilkerson finished runner-up at the Charlotte four-wide event earlier this spring and is in the top 10 in points.

Pro Stock’s Foster made his debut in Gainesville, where he defeated 2023 winner Troy Coughlin Jr. He then advanced to the quarterfinals in Phoenix before advancing to the final round at the Las Vegas four-wide race. 

Reese attended five events this season. He qualified for the Sonoma race as well as the Charlotte fall event.  

Wildgust, hailing from Stratford, Ont., has attended nine events thus far in 2024, qualifying for six. Her highest qualifying effort came in Las Vegas, where she qualified 14th.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gadson, who rides for the motorcycle powerhouse Vance & Hines team, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge specialty event in Norwalk over Hector Arana Jr. He qualified second in Bristol and Richmond and has also collected three runner-up finishes, sitting in the top five in points.

Last season, Chase Van Sant was named the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year. Other recent winners include Pro Stock’s Camrie Caruso in 2022 and Dallas Glenn in 2021, and Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley in 2020 and current Funny Car points leader Austin Prock in 2019. 

The NHRA Rookie of the Year award recognizes the top rookie competitor who also represents the future of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The nation’s leading auto racing journalists select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.