My pick would have been Ron Bouchard. Here is why:
He captured the 1981 NASCAR Rookie of the Year title even though he only raced in 22 of 31 events. He posted 12 Top 10 finishes in the 22 races, including his only career win in the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Running third to Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte on the last lap, he swooped under both of them as they battled side-by-side out of the final turn. The three cars crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously, with Bouchard winning in a photo finish. After the race, Waltrip, who had thought Bouchard was a lap down, asked, "Where the hell did he come from?"
Let me see you sit in a metal box @140+ degrees for three and a half to four hours going 180+mph and tell me you don't need conditioning to stay concious. Vote goes right
He captured the 1981 NASCAR Rookie of the Year title even though he only raced in 22 of 31 events. He posted 12 Top 10 finishes in the 22 races, including his only career win in the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Running third to Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte on the last lap, he swooped under both of them as they battled side-by-side out of the final turn. The three cars crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously, with Bouchard winning in a photo finish. After the race, Waltrip, who had thought Bouchard was a lap down, asked, "Where the hell did he come from?"