Sportscar365’s Rookie of the Year

Sportscar365 is recognizing its top competitors and moments from 2022, starting with Rookie of the Year for drivers who raced full-time for the first time in a series or category. Check back over the coming days for more awards and highlights.

Rookie of the Year – Josh Pierson

What were you doing when you were 16 years old? Many things might sprint to mind, but suiting up to make your 24 Hours of Le Mans debut certainly won’t be one of them.

Pierson is one of only two people who can counter that. Earlier this year, the Oregon teenager eclipsed fellow American Matt McMurry to become the youngest-ever Le Mans starter when he got behind the wheel of the No. 23 United Autosports Oreca 07 Gibson.

It was the headline moment of what was always going to be a remarkable year for Pierson, who jumped from a winless USF2000 spell into a demanding dual-series FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign.

Some might have considered it to be a case of too much, too young, too fast. But Pierson appeared to take the challenge in his stride, aided by a strong support circle that included experienced co-drivers such as Oliver Jarvis, Alex Lynn and Paul Di Resta.

After winning two Asian Le Mans Series races in Abu Dhabi, Pierson made his WEC debut with United and claimed a surprise debut victory with Di Resta and Jarvis.

Although that turned out to be his only WEC success of the year, Pierson nonetheless had a reliable season in which the worst result for the No. 23 car was sixth at Spa due to a door failure. He and Jarvis ultimately finished third in the championship points.

Being in a nurturing environment helped Pierson to slot nicely into sports cars. Reflecting on his Le Mans debut, he told Sportscar365 in August: “I requested pancakes, as a joke, and they actually brought them at 2 a.m!

“That’s the kind of environment that I’m in. They’ve done a great job. We’ve got another year now to continue growing. It’s onwards and upwards from here.”

But despite having some of LMP2 racing’s brightest and best in his corner, Pierson still had to deliver on his own behind the wheel, and he managed to do that.

The IMSA side presented a different experience as Pierson raced with Bronze-rated drivers in Steven Thomas and Patrick Kelly. Despite some tough events, his stint with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports ended brightly with a class podium at Motul Petit Le Mans.

This year was one of discovery for Pierson, who demonstrated maturity beyond his years and offered progression as the season went on. It was a promising debut that suggested we will continue to see Pierson’s name on sports car grids for many years to come.

Honorable Mentions

***Another young driver to impress on his LMP2 debut was Lorenzo Colombo, who joined WEC newcomer Prema as the team’s Silver-rated choice. The ex-FIA Formula 3 driver had a longer resume than Pierson and perhaps had a gentler learning curve than Pierson. Colombo settled naturally into the WEC and formed a well-rounded trio with Robert Kubica and Louis Deletraz. He was also a crucial part of Prema’s European Le Mans Series title, winning three races as a stand-in for the injured Juan Manuel Correa.

***Despite having some prior GT3 experience, launching into a full 10-round season of Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS was a significant step for the former MotoGP superstar Valentino Rossi. But the Italian frequently held his own, for example at Paul Ricard when he took the start in a huge field and contributed to a fifth-place result. The Sprint Cup season with WRT had some tougher moments, but Rossi’s successful defense from Mercedes-AMG factory ace Jules Gounon at Misano was a sign that he had earned his place on one of GT racing’s toughest grids.

***Iron Dames driver Doriane Pin didn’t do a full season of GTE this year but her combined program of three ELMS appearances and a WEC cameo amounted to a busy campaign overall. Pin also dominated Ferrari Challenge Europe and won the Gold Cup class at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, however her standout drive came in the ELMS finale at Portimao where she tamed the slippery conditions en route to a runaway victory alongside Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy.

***A heartwarming story was the racing return of Robert Wickens, more than three years after a terrible IndyCar accident at Pocono that left the Canadian star with severe leg injuries. Wickens signed up for a season of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge driving a Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR fitted with hand controls, but the aim wasn’t just to participate. Wickens and his co-driver Mark Wilkins were competitive and scored two victories in the mid-season that set the former on his way to sixth in the standings.