NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Team Elite Pro Stock driver Jerry Tucker scoffs at the notion of becoming NHRA’s next Rookie of the Year award recipient, but the sone cold reality is that he’s the current frontrunner for the prestigious award.

“I’m 48 years old. That’s too old to be a rookie,” Tucker said. “I know it’s my first year out here, but I just don’t see myself as a rookie.”

He can protest all he wants, but Tucker fits the bill as a ROY candidate. Yes, this is his first season in the rough and tumble Pro Stock class, and he’s almost certainly scored a few points with voters thanks to his six round victories and a strong semifinal finish in Chicago.

Asked to grad his performance after the first ten races of the season, Tucker has no problem being brutally honest.

“I’d say I’m moderately happy,” Tucker said. “I have done well at some races but not as good at a few others. There are some races where I’ve felt like I did a really good job, but I also know there is a lot left to learn and when you get in a situation like we had in Topeka where the No. 5 through 11 cars are separated by five-thousandths, you’ve got to be nearly perfect.”

When Tucker accepted an invitation from longtime friend Richard Freeman to join the Elite Pro Stock team, he had no illusions of what he was getting himself into. He knew that the Pro Stock class was supremely competitive, but that wasn’t a deterrent. In fact, quite the opposite. Tucker has spent 30 years racing in multiple disciplines, and he does it simply for the thrill of competition, and the challenge to better himself.

“Richard is pretty honest, but when we did this deal, it was really quick. I said, ‘If you’ve got a spare car laying around, I’d like to give Pro Stock a try’ and he said, ‘We can always find a spare car.’ It was just that simple.”

“Winning [Rookie of the Year] was never something we discussed or even thought of,” said Tucker, who has qualified at all ten races, including a best of No. 8 in Denver. “My main goal this year was just to learn how to drive properly and that’s a work in progress.”

So far, Tucker has more than held his own in his Elite Camaro, which is backed by Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer. He qualified for the season-opener in Gainesville and won his first round on a single when teammate Erica Enders couldn’t get her JHG Camaro to fire. Tucker scored another win over Enders and Bo Butner at the Charlotte Four-Wide event and also scored holeshot win against Camrie Caruso and Cristian Cuadra during the season.

“I’ve made enough runs now that I feel a lot more comfortable, certainly a lot more comfortable than I did at Gainesville,” Tucker said. “I think if I had the same level of confidence then as I do now, we could have won another round or two.”

Back to that whole Rookie of the Year thing. Tucker is certainly one of, if not the along with first-year Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Chase Van Sant, and fellow Pro Stock driver David Cuadra. As much as he might not want to admit it, there is a better-than-average chance that Tucker is on stage in November, accepting the award.

“Seriously, if it was to happen, I’d be honored but that’s not something we ever discussed beforehand,” Tucker said. “Right now, I’m just trying to finish the year strong and then work on a program for next year.  Richard and I are sitting down now, trying to finalize a deal. Hopefully, we can continue to improve.”