Michael Waltrip and the 2008 NASCAR rookie class are in for a long season.

43. 00-Michael McDowell, Aaron’s Toyota Camry

Team- Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael McDowell will succeed David Reutimann in the 00 Toyota Camry following the fifth race of the 2008 Sprint Cup season. McDowell earned four wins, rookie of the year honors, and finished second in the ARCA championship standings in 2007. The addition of McDowell to Michael Waltrip’s NASCAR Sprint Cup program is questionable considering the fact that the young driver has absolutely no experience in Cup. Furthermore, the organization as a whole struggled mightily in 2007. It will take some time before McDowell is competitive in the Sprint Cup series.

42. 78-Joe Nemechek, Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala

Team- Furniture Row Racing

Joe Nemechek is an excellent qualifier and Furniture Row Racing benefits from engine support supplied by Hendrick Motorsports. Based on those facts alone, expect to see Nemechek in several races in 2008. Nevertheless, the team is outside of the top 35 in the Sprint Cup owner’s standings, and they are operating on a limited budget. Look for Nemechek to appear in roughly 15 to 20 races; however, a top ten is unlikely.

2007 prediction- 40th

2007 result- 37th

41. 10-Patrick Carpentier, Valvoline/Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge Charger

Team- Gillett Evernham Motorsports

The laborious transition to NASCAR’s highest level of competition is on the horizon for the former open-wheel driver. Gillett Evernham Motorsports selected Patrick Carpentier to supplant Scott Riggs in the 10 car. Carpentier has a wealth of experience on the road courses; however, he lacks track time on the ovals that monopolize the NASCAR schedule. In the grand scheme of things for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, adding Carpentier may prove beneficial; however, he will not be an upgrade from Scott Riggs in the short-term.

40. 27-Jacques Villeneuve, Bill Davis Racing Toyota Camry

Team- Bill Davis Racing

The open-wheel foray is in full effect and that is evident by the fact that four of the five Sprint Cup rookies have won races in Formula One, IRL, or Champ Car. One of the rookies is Jacques Villeneuve. The former Formula One driver will drive Toyota Camry’s for Bill Davis Racing, an organization that has not won a race since July of 2002. Moreover, BDR has struggled to field a two-car operation in recent years. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding sponsorship for Villeneuve. Without solid sponsorship, this team will struggle to make it through the season. However, based on first glance, Villeneuve appears to be the most talented of the former open-wheelers.

39. 77-Sam Hornish, Jr., Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

Team- Penske Racing South

After winning three Indy Racing League championships, Sam Hornish, Jr, will attempt to achieve that same success in NASCAR Sprint Cup. Hornish, Jr. failed to impress in the handful of Nationwide Series races he competed in; however, that does not necessarily indicate that he will struggle in Sprint Cup. Roger Penske has publicly conveyed his confidence in the 28-year-old driver. Nonetheless, the 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner will spend some time in the back of the pack before he becomes a consistent front-runner.

38. 01-Regan Smith, Principal Financial Services/Steak-Umm Chevrolet Impala

Team- Dale Earnhardt Incorporated

Regan Smith will be DEI’s third rookie driver in as many years. Other than a couple of impressive showings by Martin Truex, Jr. in 2006, first-year drivers for DEI have little reason to boast. Smith should benefit from Mark Martin’s presence, as Martin has acted as a mentor to Smith and Aric Almirola. Unfortunately, based on Paul Menard’s rookie season in 2007, expectations for DEI’s rookie program is rather low.

* Sponsorship listed is currently unofficial

37. 40-Dario Franchitti, Energizer (first five races) Dodge Charger

Team- Chip Ganassi Racing

The good news for Dario Franchitti is that he has a guaranteed starting spot in the field for the first five races. The bad news is, well, where do I begin? Franchitti is coming off a championship season in IRL in which he also captured the Indianapolis 500. However, the transition to NASCAR is not going to be as smooth as it appeared for his teammate Montoya. Even Montoya encountered numerous difficulties. With limited stock car experience and without a full-time primary sponsor, this could be an incredibly trying season for Franchitti. On a brighter note, Franchitti is our pick to win the Rookie of the Year award.

* Sponsorship listed is currently unofficial

36. 55-Michael Waltrip, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry

Team- Michael Waltrip Racing

It is safe to say that Michael Waltrip was thrilled to see the 2007 NASCAR season conclude. It all began with the cheating scandal at Daytona last February. The team was unable to recover from the humiliation, and performance issues persisted throughout the season. Though the organization appears to have improved, being a driver and an owner will continue to divide Waltrip’s focus. Waltrip does have a financial backer in Robert Kauffman, and has manufacture and moral support from Toyota Racing Development. Optimistically, this team will improve as the season progresses.

2007 prediction- 37th

2007 result- 44th

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