Jeff Burton has driven for four owners since 1993. Credit: Autostock

Last Lap: Drive thru

Note: Marty Smith is out sick this week, so send him a get-well note.

Hiring a driver in the Nextel Cup Series is a lot like having Lasik surgery. The more inexperienced the doctor, the more money you save.

The bad thing is that you become part of the learning curve, which can obviously lead to complications.

	RYAN SMITHSON •   E-mail Ryan •   Opinion archive LAST LAP •   Read all the responses

It's no different being a Nextel Cup owner. You have several choices, but for the sake of time, let's break them down like this:

1. Hire a kid that will drive with no fear and pray he doesn't crash $2 million worth of cars

2. Hire a veteran with a family that won't take chances and has a record with sponsors

Of course, everyone is searching for a little bit of both. And with the talent level in the Nextel Cup Series, both is often an option.

Travis Kvapil is a good example. Kvapil is still young -- he won't turn 30 until next year -- but he's already got two kids and scored a title in major NASCAR division.

Still, let's ask around and see what you guys prefer.

Both "veteran" and "young gun" drivers are having success this season. If you were starting a team from scratch, who would be your driver and why?

GogregBiflfe: Jeff Burton's not the flashy, exciting, superstar in the limelight type that would draw instant attention but he's got the right sort of brains, solidity, leadership ability, and just plain good sense to build a new team around.

It would probably be too expensive to steal Chad Knaus or Matt Borland as my founding crew chief, but I wonder if I could get Bootie Barker?

Burton has brought a lot of much-needed stability to Richard Childress Racing, and he is very respected by his peers.

But if you were starting a team, it would be expensive to get Burton. Even though he hasn't won since 2001, hiring a 37-year-old with 17 career wins won't come cheap.

Ballen: Reed Sorenson. This guy can drive the wheels off of a car. He is 19, and second place in (Busch) points already, and with a win. I don't think there is even a comparison to him and Kyle Busch. Reed will far surpass Busch.

Personally, I can't wait for Sorenson's Nextel Cup debut, which is bound to happen soon. He has handled the Busch Series far better than anyone could have imagined.

Reed Sorenson Credit: Autostock

The upside about hiring a Reed Sorenson is that they work (relatively) cheap. It's very plausible to sign him to a long-term deal and build your team off increased sponsorship and souvenir sales.

Chip Ganassi Racing, Sorenson's employer, likes to lock in drivers for the long haul.

Certainly, other Nextel Cup owners will attempt to grab Sorenson for themselves, but he should be a fixture at Ganassi for several years.

In short, Sorenson is the poster child (no pun intended) for a driver development program.

SMSRacing: I'd go with Kenny Wallace as my driver. His driving and his laugh would get my team much needed attention.

He's certainly available on Sundays.

Hendrick2425: I wouldn't want an older driver. These drivers are past their prime, and could potentially be a hindrance to a new team's development, aka Ken Schrader. As much as I like him, I just don't think that he was a spectacular choice for BAM Racing.

Ken Schrader Credit: Autostock

Schrader's performance with BAM is very understated. He's had some wonderful runs for that team, and you have got to realize how poorly they did until they got him. Schrader gets his car in the show every single week.

Schrader is 87 years old -- he turns 88 next month -- but he completes most of his laps and is always a threat for a top-10 at a short track.

He is almost a perfect fit for that team, which can't afford to crash every two weeks.

C. Cobra: If I had the cash, I would hire D.W. as my driver, Hammond as my crew chief, and Myers as my PR man. Basically, I would do anything to get them out of the FOX booth to allow everyone to enjoy the race.

Well, at least Waltrip would still have the past champions' provisional to fall back on.

Tony Stewart, your thoughts?

DrumGodGuy: Starting a team from scratch is a tough topic. The team would need to have success right away just to prove it belongs in the Cup ranks and just to make races.

Whether NASCAR likes it or not, they created franchises with the new qualifying rules this season. As Robby Gordon as shown, it's incredibly difficult to just go out and qualify these days with a new team.

A new team would have to have a good qualifier, and it would almost be a certainty that you'd have rent motors from a top engine program. Such programs can run as high as $2 million per car per season.

It's a vicious cycle. Run well to attract a sponsor, but to run well, you have got to qualify first and qualify for at least the first few races.

And forget entering a team during the season, like ppc racing tried to do in 2004. Entering mid-season ensures that you'll be out of the top 35 in points, and you'll be qualifying with the nose taped up every week.

That is a bad way to start a program.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.