16-year-old Jesse Little Receives Sunoco Rookie of The Year Award

NASCAR Home Tracks announced today that Jesse Little will be the recipient of the 2013 K&N East Sunoco Rookie of The Year award. Jesse battled all the way to the final laps in Road Atlanta with Kenzie Ruston and Gray Gaulding for the precious award.

The 16-year-old has placed himself among a boat load of great names by winning this award including Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Ryan Truex and Ricky Craven who all went on to be K&N East Champions.

Also, the last six winners of the Rookie of The Year award have gone on to compete in NASCAR’s top-three series including most recently Kyle Larson.

“It’s very surreal, but at the same time I’m accepting of it and humble about,” Little said of joining such a prestigious list of drivers. “I think even this year we beat out a bunch of stout competitors [for the award].

“To look to the future – to be the 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year – it gives me great honor to always have that on my résumé.”

Jesse finished a decent 9^th in the standings after clocking in four top five finishes, six top ten finishes and a best finish of 3^rd at Langley Speedway in Virginia.

Little is a third generation driver and he is now the 2^nd Little to claim these honors, his dad (Chad Little) did so in 1987 before he moved to the top NASCAR levels.

“To race in the same series as my dad and to have a lot of the same people surrounding me that he did is pretty special,” Little said. “To have one of the same titles as him is even more special, and hopefully it’s not the last. Who knows, maybe I can even go on next year and capture the championship.”

Little will be recognized for this accomplishment at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards on Saturday, Dec. 14 in the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.