Head2Head: Who's been the biggest Cup surprise?

When I looked at the Cup Series standings Monday morning, a song from my Sesame Street days danced through my head -- One of these things is not like the others.

Of the top-12 drivers, eight were in the Chase last season and five are former Cup champions. Then, there he is -- to channel Caddyshack -- sticking out like a Baby Ruth bar in a swimming pool ... David Reutimann.

Driving the Aaron's Dream Machine, Reutimann has been having a "dream" season compared to his nightmarish performances of the past. In 2007 he failed to qualify for eight races and didn't even finish an additional nine while posting an average finish of 30th. This time last year, he was 31st in points, a far cry from where he is now -- fifth. His career average finish prior to 2009 is 26th; this year it is 10th.

Reutimann's hot start to the season was capped at Las Vegas with his lone Cup top-five. After being fourth fastest in qualifying, a blown engine sent him to the back. In-race repairs for oil leak issues made his march to the front that much more formidable.

The Michael Waltrip Racing driver has qualified well and has shown a blend of speed, strategy and fortitude on race day. It's paying off as Reuty has come out of the gates like very few could have expected. To say somebody else has been a bigger surprise than "The Beak" this season is for the birds.

It sounds crazy, but Tony Stewart is my surprise driver so far this season.

Yes, he's a two-time Cup champion. Yes, he's made four of the five Chase fields. And yes, he's won at least two races in nine of 10 seasons. But he wasn't supposed to be this strong. Not yet.

Purchasing a majority of Haas CNC Racing, Stewart inherited two cars that were perennial failures. Just keeping the No. 66 and No. 70 in the top 35 was a chore. But Stewart has changed all that -- and not just the car numbers.

The cars are different, the crews are different, but more importantly the attitude is different. Stewart sits eighth in points and is a championship contender in a season where many thought he would struggle just to stay in the top 35.

At Daytona, Stewart had a great Duel, started the 500 fifth and led 15 laps before finishing eighth. In Fontana, another eighth-place finish and another five bonus points for leading. In Vegas, his 26th-place finish wasn't indicative of his run, which saw him in the top 10 most of the day until a loose wheel dropped him a couple laps down.

Owner/driver teams are rarely successful. The list of guys who have struggled and/or failed is daunting. Keep Smoke's name off that list. Should we be surprised he's in the top 12? Probably not. But what he has done in a short amount of time is nothing short of spectacular.