Special K: rookie Kasey Kahne's midget racing experience has helped him to a stunningly good Nextel Cup start, buoying Evernham Motorsports in a transition year.(NASCAR)

As this season opened, it promised to be a down year for Evernham Motorsports. Last winter, the two-car team lost legendary Bill Elliott, the only lead driver it had ever had, to semiretirement. Taking over for Elliott was Kasey Kahne, who had zero Nextel Cup starts and modest success in the Busch Series. That's not a recipe for a breakout year.

But seven races into the season, Kahne is dominating the Rookie of the Year race, and this class is as deep as any in history. Kahne's near-miss last Sunday at Texas gave him his third runner-up finish. Teammate Jeremy Mayfield would be a shoo-in for comeback driver of the year, if NASCAR gave out such an award.

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