How are the top rookies faring this season?(DRIVER REPORTS)

Clint Bowyer

Richard Childress Racing's improvements in the offseason have been beneficial to every driver in the team's stable but especially to Bowyer. Unlike his fellow freshmen, Bowyer didn't get much seat time in Cup leading up to his debut season; he ran just one Cup race last year. Having longtime RCR crew chief Gil Martin and his Busch team move with him to Cup has given Bowyer a solid foundation. Bowyer demonstrated his ability to pace himself as he battled Martin Truex, albeit unsuccessfully, last year for the Busch title. He spent just one week outside the top five in points and completed 98.7 percent of the possible laps. Bowyer, who has displayed that same consistency in Cup, will benefit from running double duty in Cup and Busch.

DENNY HAMLIN He blossomed late last season behind the wheel of equipment equivalent to Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart's. Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford jelled immediately. After winning the Bud Shootout on a restrictor-plate track, Hamlin's first Busch victory came at the road course in Mexico City. That shows his versatility and adds momentum to his Cup and Busch programs. Hamlin likely will sparkle on short tracks. MARTIN TRUEX Like his famous Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate, ...