Head2Head: Top '07 rookie

This year's rookie class doesn't hold a candle to what last year's newcomers were able to accomplish, but there are some bright spots.

Juan Montoya has shown you don't need a stock car background to be competitive and Toyota has a solid future with David Reutimann and A.J. Allmendinger. But if I had to choose one guy as the circuit's top rookie, it would have to be the youngest of them all -- David Ragan.

Yes, he trails Montoya in total points but consider where the 21-year-old has come from. This is a guy who couldn't keep his car in a straight line last season, had to basically apply for each race and was even told 'no' by NASCAR for the Atlanta and Talladega races.

Count me among the many who thought Mr. Jack Roush was crazy for replacing Mark Martin with Ragan, especially after his wreck-fest at Martinsville where Tony Stewart called him "a dart without feathers."

Well, there's a reason Mr. Roush is a car owner and I'm not and it became evident in the season-opener at Daytona.

Ragan's fifth-place run proved immediately he could run the superspeedways without incident. With only one DNF and six finishes in the top 20, Ragan has come a long way in a short amount of time.

On top of that, unlike Montoya, Ragan is gaining respect in the garage, not losing it. Ragan isn't out there knocking drivers around and ticking off half of his competitors. He's learning as he goes, racing hard when it's appropriate and learning the art of give-and-take.

The battle for rookie of the year basically comes down to two. Menard, Allmendinger and Reutimann haven't made enough races to be factors so that leaves Ragan and Montoya. By the end of the season, look for Montoya to continue his hard racing and paying the price while young Ragan continues to improve, building for a very successful future.

• Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM

There's certainly room for debate when it comes to this year's crop of Nextel Cup rookies.

David Ragan has made every race and continues to improve week-by-week. Paul Menard showed strength at Texas and Richmond, David Reutimann was unlucky not to post a top-10 at Talladega and A.J. Allmendinger has shown flashes of brilliance since coming over from open-wheeled cars.

But if I'm picking the rookie of the year based on the first 13 races of the season, it's got to be Juan Montoya, hands down. While Ragan was moving up the NASCAR ladder at this time last year, Montoya was still driving Formula 1 cars.

Consider what Montoya's done in less than half a season. His only previous stock-car experience came when he tested the No. 24 Chevrolet for a handful of laps when Jeff Gordon gave him a chance to drive his Cup car on the road course at Indianapolis four years ago.

And yet, Montoya has more top-10 finishes than 10 other drivers who have started every race, including veterans like Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Rudd and Sterling Marlin. He may have had the fastest car at Atlanta, but ruined his chances of winning when he scraped the wall late in the event.

He's improved his position in seven of the 13 races -- and even more impressive, he's been running at the finish 100 percent of the time this season, despite being an aggressive driver who seems to love running the car on the edge of control every lap.

Sure, he's had his moments, the Nextel Open immediately comes to mind, but we saw veteran drivers do crazier things later that evening.

Certainly, the potential is there for Montoya to match the success he's attained in other forms of motorsports. And if you were picking someone from this rookie class around which to build a team, Juan Montoya would have to be No. 1 on your list.

• Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM