Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates are awarded points based on entry, competition, top-10 bonus points, and voting panel points. Points are awarded based on his/her best 17 races in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action, 16 events in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, or 14 events in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Points during competition are awarded based on the following:
* Attempting to qualify for a race earns the rookies one (1) bonus point.
* A 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system is used for scoring finishing positions. The highest-finishing rookie in each race earns 10 points, the second-highest, nine points, etc.
* Bonus points are awarded for a finish in the top 10. A rookie who wins a race is awarded 10 points, second place gets nine points and so on down the line with a tenth place finish earning one point.
In addition to the above, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year panel will meet during the final weekend of the season and reward favorable conduct in the following categories: conduct with NASCAR officials; conduct and awareness on track; personal appearances and relationship with the media. The panel rates each driver on a scale of 10 to one with 10 being the maximum. The points will then be averaged and added to the entry, competition, and bonus points after the final race.
The scoring system to determine the Rookie of the Year varies from NASCAR'S point system for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. The following is a breakdown of the Rookie of the Year scoring system:
" A 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point system is used for scoring finishing positions by the rookies. The highest-finishing rookie in each race earns 10 points, the second-highest, nine points, etc.
" Of the 36 races, only the top 17 are counted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie race.
" In order to be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award, a driver must attempt to qualify in at least eight events out of the first 20 events.
" Attempting to qualify for a race earns the rookies one bonus point, which is a bonus that is available for all 36 events.
" Bonus points are awarded for a finish in the top 10. A rookie who wins a race is awarded 10 points, second place gets nine and so on down the line with a 10th-place effort earning one point.
" Following the final race of the season, the highest-ranking rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship receives 10 bonus points. The second-highest rookie earns nine points, third receives eight, etc.
" During the final weekend of the season, a Rookie of the Year panel meets and rewards favorable conduct in the following categories: Conduct with NASCAR officials in the garage and pit areas; conduct and awareness on track; personal appearance and relationship with the media. The panel rates each driver, with scoring ranging from a maximum of 10 to a minimum of 1. Total points will be averaged from each panel member's ballot. The points derived from the panel will be added to the entry, competition, and bonus points after the final race of the season to determine the overall Rookie of the Year winner.
