Having no Sprint Cup rookies in 2010 is a big problem for NASCAR

Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Regan Smith, Joey Logano.

What do they have in common?

They are the last 10 rookies of the year in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

With the exception of Smith, who lost his ride when Dale Earnhardt Inc. merged with Chip Ganassi Racing after his rookie season, all have become big stars in NASCAR’s top series.

Kenseth won the 2003 Cup championship. Kenseth, Harvick and Newman have won the Daytona 500.

Kahne, Busch, Hamlin and Montoya have won races and established themselves as serious threats to win a championship in the near future.

Logano, 19, flashed similar potential as the top rookie in 2009.

Will this year’s rookie class produce another potential star?

No.

Why?

Because there is no 2010 rookie class for NASCAR’s top series, and likely won’t be.

For the first time since the rookie award was created in 1957, it appears NASCAR will have no true rookies running in its top series next season.

The lack of a rookie driver in 2010 is both a shame and a big problem, one that NASCAR and its teams better hope does not become a trend.

With veteran stars like Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin (maybe) and others entering the twilight of their careers, NASCAR needs a constant flow of new talent entering its top series to replace them.

If there is no pipeline of new talent feeding the series, eventually the Cup series will be watered down with aging drivers and running short on new, exciting stars.

Brad Keselowski, 25, is the only new driver entering the series full-time next season, taking over Penske Racing’s No. 12 Dodge. He is technically not a rookie, though, and not eligible for the rookie award because he ran 15 races this year (the maximum to maintain rookie eligibility is seven).

That means there are currently no rookies to compete for the Cup rookie title and likely won’t be. A handful of back-marker and part-time teams have not signed drivers for next year yet, but they are likely to go with veteran drivers who can get their cars into the field.

Raybestos, which has sponsored NASCAR’s rookie program for several years, can’t be happy about the current situation. Instead of promoting a high-profile rookie like Logano or Keselowski, it must focus its attention and marketing efforts on lesser-known drivers in the Nationwide and Truck series.

Why are there no rookies knocking on the door, ready to make the leap to Cup and carve out a promising future?

Two reasons:

One, other than Keselowski, who has already won a Cup race and was successful in the Nationwide Series, there are few young drivers in the lower ranks ready to make the leap.

And two, NASCAR’s current ban on testing is not conducive to hiring rookie drivers. Though teams can test rookies, they cannot take them to NASCAR-sanctioned tracks where NASCAR’s top three series race, making it very difficult for them to get the proper seat time and experience it takes to move up the ladder.

A handful of Cup teams have young drivers they are trying to develop at the lower levels, but others, like powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, have practically given up on young talent because sponsors today want instant results.

They also want to use their Nationwide teams for Cup drivers to get more experience on the track, particularly under NASCAR’s current testing ban.

Hendrick, for instance, had a chance to sign Keselowski, but passed it up to re-sign star Mark Martin for two more years because it had sponsors interested in the 50-year-old Martin.

Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing and Richard Childress Racing are all trying to develop young drivers but have had mixed results.

Gibbs has produced Hamlin and Logano and RCR found Clint Bowyer, but others have struggled to find can’t-miss stars.

There are young drivers in the Nationwide and Truck series, but they are all at least a year away.

Justin Algaier, 23, finished sixth in Nationwide points this year for Penske. If he continues to make progress next year, he could be ready for the next step.

Colin Braun, 21, will race in Nationwide for Roush Fenway Racing next year, as will Trevor Bayne, 18, for Diamond-Waltrip Racing. If they are successful, they could also be ready for the next level.

Penske, Gibbs and Childress all have other young drivers they are trying to develop, but they are at least two or three years away.

Unlike a few years ago, there is a not a pipeline of young drivers ready to make the move.

If there were, where would they go?

With sponsorship scarce and testing difficult under the current ban, how many Cup teams and sponsors are going to take a gamble on a young, untested driver?

They can develop them in Nationwide or Trucks, giving them experience on tracks where the Cup series runs, but that doesn’t give them experience on those tracks in a Cup car.

High-profile open-wheel star Danica Patrick will run a limited Nationwide Series schedule for JR Motorsports next season, but even her development will be handicapped because she cannot test a Nationwide or Cup car at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks.

Though Keselowski technically gives NASCAR a potential new star, the sanctioning body should be concerned it does not have a Cup driver in the rookie program next year and several strong, sure-bet candidates on the way.

It should be concerned there is not a new wave of can’t-miss stars ready for Cup and should take steps to remedy that.

It needs to not only encourage more Cup teams to develop young drivers, but also needs to provide them a process and incentives for doing that.

That means loosening its testing rules to allow rookie drivers the practice time they need.

Though the current testing ban was implemented for sound, economic reasons, it has clearly handicapped teams as far as adjusting to NASCAR’s new car and improving their performance. It has also made it difficult to develop young drivers.

NASCAR used to allow seven tests per season for teams with rookie drivers, and now, it needs to create another practical testing program for rookies. It would be good for teams trying to develop young drivers and also good for the future of the sport.

Maybe then we won’t see another season without a true rookie driver.

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Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 46 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information.