At 12 he was racing in the World Karting Association. He earned championships and awards, and moved on. His Truck Series debut was in 2002, and he has run 102 races in the Nationwide Series spread across six years. His only full-time season was 2006.

He shared a ride with Mark Martin last year, and this year he has his own full-time ride with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“

It's been exactly like Regan said, it's been a tough year for a lot of the rookies.

”

SAM HORNISH JR.

He's worked his way through the traditional path to the Sprint Cup Series, yet rookie Regan Smith continues to be unheralded.

"Well I definitely think that we've gone a little bit under the radar," said Smith, who has competed in all but two Cup events this year -- both road-course races. "We've led the rookie points for seven consecutive races and up until that point we hadn't lost the rookie lead until we missed a couple of races there at the road courses, and Ron Fellows did a great job filling in for us. So I think from that standpoint we've definitely gone under the radar."

Smith wasn't necessarily expected to be blazing a trail as a Cup rookie. The 2008 class fit the mold from last year: Former open-wheel star enters NASCAR, steals headlines, wins rookie of the year.

In 2007, Juan Montoya switched to stock cars, won a race at Sonoma and ended up winning a tight rookie points battle. The guy who took the conventional route to the Cup Series -- David Ragan -- ended up a quiet second in rookie points.

This year, there were four open-wheel converts, three of which were Indianapolis 500 winners: Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr., Patrick Carpentier and Jacques Villeneuve.

Franchitti was the 2007 Indy Racing League champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, yet bolted for stock cars. Hornish won the Indy 500 in 2006 and is a three-time IRL champion. Villeneuve won the 1995 Indianapolis 500, as well as titles in CART and Formula One. Carpentier had two Champ Car victories and three wins in CART.

Michael McDowell was promoted from ARCA and became the sixth rookie in the class.

And there was Smith.

Yet as they stand now, Franchitti announced Tuesday he's going back to IRL after his NASCAR team at Ganassi Racing folded. Carpentier is being booted from his Gillett Evernham Motorsports ride. Villeneuve never started a race.

McDowell's future is uncertain considering MWR is moving David Reutimann back into the 00 car next season. He has missed the last three races so Michael Waltrip Racing could put Mike Skinner in the No. 00 car to evaluate where the team stands. (Continued)