Stark reality awaits for the sport's open-wheel rookies

By this time last season, Juan Montoya had already recorded the first of the breakthroughs that would come to define his rookie campaign at NASCAR's highest level. His fifth-place finish at Atlanta showed he could compete on the kind of fast, intermediate tracks that dominate the Sprint Cup schedule, and foreshadowed strong runs to come at places like Indianapolis and Texas. While his most enduring memory of 2007 has to be the victory at Sonoma, it was that one afternoon at Atlanta that made you think the Colombian had staying power.

But we may be realizing only now just how good Montoya is, a fact that has less to do with the former Formula One star than it does the struggles of those trying to follow him. So much was made in the preseason of this open-wheel "invasion" of NASCAR, which to this point has been about as toothless as the Bay of Pigs. Jacques Villeneuve crashed in a Daytona 500 qualifier and hasn't been seen since. Patrick Carpentier has missed two races and finished no better than 35th. Even Dario Franchitti, with all that oval-track experience seemingly so ready-made for NASCAR, has been unable to poke his head above 32nd place.

Yes, it's very early, only four races into a very long year. But Montoya is the standard by which all other incoming open-wheelers are measured, and even by this introductory point last season he had shown signs that he might make it. This year, only one has: Sam Hornish Jr., who finished 15th in the Daytona 500. And even he hasn't managed anything better than 25th since.

It's not that these open-wheelers-turned-NASCAR-rookies aren't talented -- you don't win the Indianapolis 500, which three of them have done, by accident -- and it's not like they haven't had to adjust to different types of cars at other points in their racing careers. But it's impossible not to notice the fact that they're are attempting to jump right into Sprint Cup racing with minimal seat time in the circuits that are supposed to help you get there. And what a contrast that is to the last time NASCAR greeted a pack of incoming former open-wheel drivers, all those sprint and midget aces who flocked to the sport because of Jeff Gordon's success.

Back then, things were different -- the cars used in the Cup and then-Busch series were more similar, sponsors were more willing to back unproven and unfamiliar drivers at lower levels, and up-and-comers didn't face Saturday starting fields packed with the same faces that would compete in the main event the next day. Drivers new to NASCAR had some time to learn and some space to breathe. They weren't expected to produce immediately, as their successors are today. The goals were simple, to get better and move up.

And that's what they did. Gordon ran two full seasons in the Busch circuit before he became a Cup regular. So did Kasey Kahne. Tony Stewart ran a full season, while Ryan Newman spent a year running mostly Busch and ARCA events before he became a rookie in NASCAR's premier division. They didn't have to learn in Cup; they were ready once they got there, and it showed it their early results. Gordon finished sixth or better in three of his first four starts as a rookie. Newman had top-10s in four of his first five. Stewart placed 11th or better in three of his first six. Kahne nearly won his second race as a full-time Cup driver, and nearly won again the week after that. (Continued)