The No. 20: Before Smoke and Sliced Bread

The heralded 18-year old Joey Logano finally got to make his Sprint Cup debut on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and while the 32nd place finish doesn't pale in comparison to the second garnered by Rusty Wallace in his first start back in 1980, I am sure the lessons he learned will go a long way in helping his drive to become an elite driver at the top level of the sport. 

As a young man barely old enough to be in college, don't expect miracles overnight, but before long, this kid will be a regular visitor to victory lane. 

As we all know by now, Logano will replace Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota beginning in 2009, and at least temporarily rehashes memories of Smoke bursting on the scene in that car nearly a decade ago.  Obviously, considering the talent of Stewart and Logano, the No. 20 has been used by two of the sport's greatest young stars in their rise to fame.  Unfortunately, that could have been three. 

In the few years prior to Stewart's rookie campaign in 1999, the No. 20 was seldomly  used on the Cup tour.  Outside of a few races run by Harry Ranier's team in 1997, the last owner to utilize the number was Dick Moroso, father of Rob Moroso. 

The 17-year old Rob, a resident of Connecticut like young Joey, burst onto the scene during the 1986 Busch Series campaign, and by the 1989 season, was able to narrowly defeat Tommy Ellis, Tommy Houston, and L.D. Ottinger for the series crown with his father there every step of the way.  

Dad and son decided to make the jump the Winston Cup in time for the 1990 season, and like any rookie in the pre-driver development program era, it was a struggle.  Moroso's No. 20 Crown Petroleum Oldsmobile failed to finish many races due to mechanical failures and crashes, with the highlight being a ninth place run at the Pepsi 400. 

It all came to an abrupt end after a 21st place run at North Wilkesboro on September 30, with just four races remaining in Rob Moroso's inaugural Cup campaign.  After consuming too many adult beverages, Moroso got behind the wheel, and as it does all too often, ended tragically. 

Making the story worse, he collided with a car in the other lane, killing that vehicle's female driver. 

Two families left to pick up the pieces (an aside: Dick Moroso would continue to field a part-time team for a few seasons after his son's passing, before dying in 1998 of brain cancer).  A sport left without a potential star.  All because of the perils associated with alcohol consumption.  It's unfortunate someone was not there that night to take the keys from Rob Moroso before he made an inexcusable, stupid mistake, ending his life just two days after his 22nd birthday.  Two lives could have been saved. 

Now Moroso is no saint.  I have no pity for anyone who drives intoxicated.  But I often find myself reflecting on past events (especially in the world of sports) and wondering, "what if?" 

The fact that we are two weeks shy of what would have been Moroso's 40th birthday, a couple of days after a race at what would have been his hometown track, and just witnessed the first potential star to come out of New England since Moroso made his Sprint Cup debut compelled me to write this entry, even though I had just started my kindergarten year when Moroso was killed and have no recollection of his career. 

Moroso was posthumously awarded the rookie of the year award in New York that December, but since, has largely been forgotten.  That can largely be contributed to the arrival of Jeff Gordon in the Busch Series the following year, and as everyone tried to block Moroso's self-inflicted passing from memory, Gordon quickly proved he had what it took to be a great stock car driver. 

1993 rolls around, Gordon is tapped to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in Winston Cup, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Today, Gordon is viewed as the father of the driver development era, as he showed the NASCAR world that a youthful, inexperienced driver could hop behind the wheel of great equipment and almost immediately succeed. 

No longer would a young driver have to toil in second-rate equipment hoping to get noticed by a big money owner by the time they hit 30. 

Moroso, on the other hand, was the beginning of the end to that "old school" era.  He was driving for his father's team, which did not have the resources as the Rick Hendricks and Junior Johnsons of the world at the time.  All Moroso was trying to do was perform well enough to get noticed, and secure a top ride after a couple or three years in the series. 

But we never found out if he was capable of doing so or not, unfortunately.  Talk to many people, and they will tell you Rob Moroso was destined to be the next big thing in the Cup series.   Some will even say he could have been better than Gordon himself.  

Here we are nearly two decades later with no answers to those questions, and a heralded young man from Connecticut barely old enough to shave is trying to make a name for himself in the top echelon of stock car racing the world has to offer.  The cycle of history repeating itself continues. 

This time, let's hope and pray Joey Logano fulfills his immense promise behind the wheel of the number 20 car.  And I have no doubt that he will.   When he does, I know I will think of Rob Moroso and what could have been.  It's my nature as one of those people who wonders "what if?"