Trouble in Turn2

Everyone in sports is always looking for the next big thing. The next Michael Jordan is an ongoing NBA quest (remember when Harold Miner was heir to the throne?). Ever since a 23 year old Jeff Gordon took NASCAR by storm, people want to discover the next Wonderboy (remember when Casey Atwood was heir to the throne?). It’s easy to point to Kyle Busch and think that every young driver will be ready to challenge for wins before their 21st birthday, but he is the exception. It took Brian Vickers nearly three full seasons to get his first win and he is still developing consistency as a 24 year old. It’s a myth that all of the young drivers got their Cup starts very early. Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards all excelled immediately at the Cup level, but they were 24, 25 and 24 respectively during their first seasons. The same is true for almost every top driver since 1999. Every driver, except for Kurt and Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers, that has won a race and entered Cup since 1999 has been between 24 and 27 years old. That includes Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart Hamlin, Edwards, Kahne and Casey Mears.

Unfortunately many young drivers are getting fewer starts in smaller windows. An influx of veteran drivers from other international racing series also has not helped young drivers find quality rides with adequate seat time. This weekend’s Nationwide race at Nashville represents a rare chance for the youngsters to shine. Last year Stephen Leicht was the youngster to win a race at Kentucky. Can someone follow suit and win a guitar at Nashville? Here’s four youngsters to keep an eye on.

• Brad Coleman With no room in the Joe Gibbs Inn, Coleman jumped at the chance for a full time ride in the #27 car. Coleman is a legitimate talent and Hall of Fame Racing is working on a part time Cup ride later this year.

• Brad Keselowski Of all the young driving prospects, Keselowski is the one in the best position for a breakout win. He has taken advantage of his top notch Jr Motorsports/Hendrick equipment. He nearly won at Las Vegas and has two top tens through five races this year. Keselowski has an 88.8 driver rating and leads the Nationwide series in quality passes. He might not win this weekend, but it’s only a matter of time.

• Colin Braun Bruan is only 19, but has already won races and competed for a title in the Grand Am series. In three truck starts this season, Braun has started no worse than 9th and scored a top ten at Fontana. He needs more time in a stock car, but he is definitely a top long term prospect.

• Steven Wallace: As the son of a NASCAR legend and champion, not to mention already being in his second Busch season, it’s easy to raise expectations. He’s only 20 and has been thrown in the deep end the last two years. He gets a bum rap because of his appetite for destruction (4 DNF’s due to wrecks in ‘07), but lots of young drivers crash a lot. The fact is he has already won an ARCA race and one of the country’s bigger short track races, the Snowball Derby. The other thing to consider is that RWI has not won a Busch race since 2004. Not every driver will breeze through the ranks like Kyle Busch. It is time for at least one top ten finish, though.

So tell me who you’re keeping an eye on? What traits do you look for in a young driver to indicate success?