Story by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]

Copper Hill, VA(March 9, 2012) — Some seasons the rookie crop in the Late Model Stock Car division is less than stellar and sometimes non-existent, but the 2012 season boasts a rookie crop that is as strong as ever before.

You’ve got Limited Late Model drivers, who had a great 2011 season, others who dabbled in the Late Model division last season, kids coming here from other states such as California, Tennessee and Georgia, those moving up from lower divisions and some drivers that seemingly come from out of nowhere.  This years rookie class isn’t just stellar from the length of the list, but also the quality of some of the drivers, some who will undoubtedly rock the Late Model Stock Car world.

With that said, lets take a look at all of the “rookies” that we have info on moving up to the Late Model Stock Car division and looking to make a name for themselves ….. (In alphabetical order by last name)

Dillon Bassett
You all probably already know the name, but what you don’t know is that his “rookie” Limited Late Model season last year at Ace Speedway, where he won 12 races and ten of them in a row wasn’t just a fluke. The kid is the real deal … he is one of the most talented young drivers to come up through the ranks in a long time and he’s going to prove his skills this season in the UARA-STARS Series.

Meagan Creech
The only “girl” on the list, Meagan Creech is no stranger to the Late Model Stock Car world with her father being a chassis builder and growing up around the racing scene. She’s the only female driver to win a pole in the Arena Racing Top Dog Series for Mini Cups and she’s been a top ten contender in the Limited Late Models for the last couple of seasons. She’ll join only a select few female drivers racing in the Late Model Stock Car division this season.

Pietro Fittipaldi
Remember this name …. he will certainly make an impression on you and not just this season, he’s destined to be a star in racing and last season showed the talent of this young driver. The Fittipaldi name is no stranger to racing and Pietro comes from a great racing heritage with his grandfather being, Emerson Fittipaldi. After an incredible season last year, where the driver won the four races at Hickory Motor Speedway in Limiteds, he’ll no doubt be a force this season on the same track in the Late Model Stock Car division.

Darrell Gilchrist
Another driver that comes from a racing lineage, the brother of former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Derrick Gilchrist, Darrell is making his own way through the ranks of racing. Last season he was a rookie in the Limited Late Model division, where he scored a single win at Coastal Plains Raceway before trying his hand at a Late Model Stock Car race or two. This season, he’s moving up to LMSC with the best equipment possible as a teammate to four-time and defending NASCAR National Champion, Philip Morris, so he’ll have a great chance to have a great rookie season.

Quin Houff
Despite the fact that he never seemingly got up to speed in the Limited Late Model division, while racing for FDJ Motorsports last season, Quin will make the move to the Late Model Stock Car division. Quin will certainly have some of the best equipment in LMSC racing and having a leader like Frank Deiny, Jr., so it will be his chance to show what he has behind the wheel.

Brandon Jones
This youngster has made a name for himself in the Truck division around Georgia, but now he’ll be stepping up to race against some of the best in the business in not only the Late Model Stock Car division, but also in the PASS South Series. Driving for Eddie Sharpe, who also owns teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series, Jones will certainly have all the tools to showcase his talent.

Tyler Laing
Relatively unknown to race fans in this area, Florida native, Tyler Laing has been making a name for himself racing Late Model type trucks around his hometown. Laing like many of his rookie counterparts is also driving for a respected top team, Coulter Motorsports, owned by NASCAR Truck Series driver Joey Coulter. This will be an great opportunity for another young driver to make a name for himself racing for a top tier team.

Travis Long
I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about this young driver, but he’ll be making his Late Model Stock Car debut at Greenville Pickens Speedway. He has been racing there in the Renegade division, where last season he won three races and he’s hoping that despite being on a small budget that he can compete with the top drivers at GPS. He might not be racing for Coulter, Sharpe or one of the other big teams, but this kid will certainly make some noise as a rookie this season.

Camden Murphy
Finishing runner-up last season in the United States Super Truck Series (USST) National Series Championship, Camden Murphy has been making his way up the racing ladder. However, this season he’s jumping in deep with an attempt at running the UARA-STARS Series in 2012. Camden is scheduled to compete in all 16 races and he’ll be up against some stiff competition this season.

Kevin Neal
Kevin Neal is a familiar name around the Winston-Salem area at Bowman Gray Stadium, but this season he’s stepping out to run Late Model Stock Cars at Ace Speedway. He’ll certainly have his hands full against the competition at Ace with Barry Beggarly, Rodney Cook and more, but as a veteran of Bowman Gray’s madness, he’ll certainly fit in well on the 4/10 mile track.

Matt Piercy
Matt Piercy has made a name for himself in the Limited Late Model division at Hickory Motor Speedway, but this season he’ll be stepping up to the Late Model Stock Car division. As the son of the track promoter, Piercy catches all kinds of flack, but the truth is, people hate talented drivers and Matt Piercy is talented and more than capable to be a top contender in the LMSC division.

Ben Rhodes
Driving for Marcos Ambrose Motorsports this season in a car fielded by Jamie Yelton’s Fat Head Racing, Ben Rhodes is almost certain to turn heads. Last season, George Miedecke took the same ride to the Rookie of the Year in the UARA-STARS Series and Rhodes is hoping to become the third RoY in the UARA for Yelton’s team. Rhodes certainly will have the equipment, he’ll just have to make the car turn to showcase his talent.

Austin Thaxton
As the grandson of the legendary Late Model Stock Car owner, Dolly Fallen, Austin is now making his way up the racing ladder. The young driver competed in the Limited Late Model division last season and was a weekly top five contender and even collected a single victory toward the end of the season. This season he’ll be a rookie in the Late Model Stock Car division, but with Fallen Trucking aboard his car, he’ll be expected to compete with the best of them and if his Limited Late Model experience was any indication, he’ll do just fine.

There’s our best attempt at a look at the rookies this season in Late Model Stock Car racing … I’m sure we missed someone and I’m sure someone will argue with our thoughts on these drivers, but we’ll see how the race season plays out.