Wise, McDowell preparing for possible Cup shot in '08 (cont'd)

That could be an option, given that Waltrip plans to field a Nationwide Series car in 2008 in addition to three Sprint Cup entries. McDowell, a 22-year-old from Phoenix who has two career starts in the Champ Car series, believes he's ready for NASCAR's big league.

"I do," said. "Obviously, I'm realistic about how hard it's going to be. But my whole career has been difficult. Going to even the ARCA series this year, not knowing any of the tracks and not knowing the cars, has given me confidence. But I know how hard it's going to be. I know the level of dedication it's going to take. I know how good those guys are at the top level. I'm ready to make sure that I can do it. I have confidence that I can. You put a proper program together with people who believe in you and want to succeed, and it's going to happen. It's just a matter of timing."

McDowell to debut

Michael McDowell will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut in the No. 17 Toyota fielded by Darrell Waltrip Motorsports at Martinsville on Saturday.

Fresh off his fourth ARCA RE/MAX victory for Eddie Sharp Racing this past weekend at Toledo Speedway, the 22-year-old is scheduled to run several NCTS and Busch Series events for Michael Waltrip Racing in order to prepare for next season.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to drive for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing," McDowell said. "Many drivers strive to be in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. I have waited and worked hard to get into one of NASCAR's top levels. This is an outstanding opportunity for me and a big step in my career thanks to the support of the Waltrips and Eddie Sharp."

But that timing may depend on outside factors. Norris has seen how Allmendinger and Sam Hornish have struggled just to qualify, and doesn't want the same thing to happen to his new drivers next year. He points to Roush Fenway rookie David Ragan, whose first Nextel Cup season would have been much more trying had his No. 6 car not been in the top 35 in points. Whether McDowell or Wise gets a start next spring at Martinsville may hinge on whether Reutimann can get the car into the top 35 before he moves over to the No. 44.

"Like I told both Michael McDowell and Josh Wise -- you can either throw a fastball 90 mph over the plate consistently, and it doesn't matter if you're pitching to A-Rod or a guy in junior college. You can either do it or you can't," Norris said. "And what we will find out quickly is whether they can or can't. We believe they both can. And then, how long before we put them in the situation? We don't want to put them in a situation where they're outside the top 35 in points and have to qualify for the first time at Martinsville. It would be unfair to their careers, and we know that."

Those careers spawn from very different backgrounds. Wise's took off when as an unknown he won the Belleville Nationals, the biggest event in midget racing. "It would be like someone from ARCA who no one's ever heard of going and winning the Coca-Cola 600 or something like that," he said. The victory helped him land better rides and eventually catch the eye of Stewart, who put Wise in cars that won a midget title in 2005 and a sprint crown the next year. The support and backing of Stewart, a former USAC legend turned two-time Cup champion, helped Wise strike a developmental deal with Waltrip.

"Every race I've seen Josh run with the ARCA car or the truck, I've felt like he's done an exceptionally good job," Stewart said. "It wouldn't surprise me to see him in a Cup car next year at all."

McDowell's path is more circuitous, and one he thought would lead to Indy-cars. He raced go-karts in Europe against future Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosburg, raced Mazdas, Mustangs and Grand-Am cars, and finally got what he thought was his big break when the Rocketsports Champ Car team fielded cars for him in the final two events of the 2006 season. He finished 12th at Surfers Paradise, 11th in Mexico City, and seemed to be the promising American driver the series was missing. But the funding never came together, and he found himself knocking on doors. A contact with Chip Ganassi's team led him to Lorin Rainier, the organization's development chief, who in turn sent him to Sharp.

"I just got super lucky to have a contact like that at Ganassi, and to be able to open those doors for me was a huge help," said McDowell, who caught Waltrip's eye because the team owner already had a development deal with Wise. "You can imagine, as a guy not knowing anybody, you could have very easily got into the wrong situation. I could have run 15th all year long, and we wouldn't be talking at all."

Waltrip said last week that he was still working out the details of the transition, leaving open the possibility that the two drivers could spilt time in the car. But right now, it's hard for the two teammates to not feel like they're competing against one another for a ride at the top level of American motorsports.

"He and I sat at breakfast before we went to the [Jarrett news] conference, and we knew what was going to happen," McDowell said. "We knew we were the possibilities and that it was going to be between him and I. We were OK with it. You're always racing somebody for a job. I like Josh a lot, and I've been racing him all year for a job, the way I see it. Every time he and I compete in the ARCA series, I know that Michael and other teams are watching to see who's going to be in front. When you drive for the same team, you're always going to be compared to your teammate's performance. When you have good teammates and you have fast teammates that make you earn it and make you push for it, it just makes the whole program better." (Continued)