NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Joey Logano and Scott Speed Battle for Rookie Supremacy

The battle for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year will be between two drivers this year. Rookie sensations, Joey Logano and Scott Speed will duel it out for the 36 races that make up the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season to see who will reign supreme. But after only four races, there is some question as to whether the two will even make all of the races to begin with.

It is a rule in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series that the top-35 in owner points make it into the race automatically. For the first five races of the season, NASCAR goes by last year's points. But after that, they go on current year points and that is where both Logano and Speed may be in for it.

It was in the Bud Shootout that these two first saw action. The Shootout, which is an invitational race that runs before the Daytona 500, saw these two young stars wreck into each other within the first few laps. This seems to have been a prelude of things to come.

After the first four races of the season, Joey Logano, the driver of the number 20 Home depot Toyota, sits 33^rd in the point standings and has only been able to muster one top 15 finish. Though he was the youngest in history to start the Daytona 500 at 18 years old, the stat lost much luster as Logano finish 43^rd (dead last) in the "Great American Race."

Scott Speed has not fair any better however. In his first four races, the 26 year old driver of the number 82 Red Bull Toyota has averaged a dismal 32.3 finishing spot and as of this writing he sits at 37^th in the point standings. That means that in just two more races, Speed will have to qualify on time. If he fails to do so he will have to sit the race out.

Though both have enjoyed much success in other driving series, many have debated whether the two were brought up to the Cup level too quickly. But both have shown talent in the past and have had flashes of greatness this season, but neither has been able to close the deal on a good race. While it may not be an exciting race for the rookie of the Year in 2009, it is none-the-less a race. As of now though, it is up in the air at this point if either Logano or Speed can even make it into all the races. Only time will tell for sure if these two Rookie drivers have what it takes to make it in the hardest racing series around; the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Source used: nascar.com