NASCAR: Fewer rookies this season

What a difference a year makes. Last year, the big story in NASCAR was the arrival of a host of open wheel racers within the Sprint Cup series. Now, the forecast for 2009 is seeing only two drivers making the Rookie of the Year list.

Indeed, as testing began in January 2008, there were quite a few new drivers looking forward to the upcoming Sprint Cup season. Among them were stars like Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr., Patrick Carpentier, Jacques Villeneuve, and eventually A.J. Allmendigner. They all thought they could follow the steps of former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya (Dodge No 42) behind the wheel of a NASCAR stockcar.

At the end of the season, none of them really stood out. Franchitti (Dodge No 40) made only 10 starts and, following an injury inducing crash, went back to Indy Cars. Hornish (Dodge No 77) finished 35th in the drivers' points (and could be headed back to Indy Cars), Carpentier (Dodge No 10) lost his ride with GEM and Jacques Villeneuve (Camry No 27) never really began the season.

A.J. Allmendigner (Camry No 84) had a tough time making it but he should be back behind the wheel of a GEM Dodge next season (he finished the 2008 season driving the No 10 Dodge). Young road racing star Michael McDowell (Camry No 00) did not cut it either!

Finally, the Rookie of the Year was not an open wheel driver but a certain Regan Smith (Chevy No 01), a stock-car driver who did not even finish within the top10 all season long (though he almost won the Talladega race in October). Ironically, he is now looking for a ride in 2009!

Though the 2008 ROTY roster was impressive, it looks a little more discrete for 2009. Up to now, only two drivers are listed for the 2009 ROTY championship, Joey Logano (Camry No 20) and Scott Speed (Camry No 82).

Logano comes from oval racing but has almost no experience on big fast ovals. Speed has been pretty convincing on the ARCA circuit but he too lacks practice time behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car at some of the fastest tracks on the circuit.

And with the new rules forbidding any testing at tracks holding official NASCAR races (Camping World, Nationwide and Sprint Cup), chances of any of the two drivers standing out at some of the first races of the season are pretty slim!

Could it be that 2009 turns out to be more competitive than ever?