With eight rookies in the Sprint Cup Series this season, there will be plenty of mistakes and errors made on track. Each week, I’ll recap the Hits and Misses of the 2014 Rookie of the Year class.

HITS

Austin Dillon: Dillon kicked off the season by winning the pole position for the Daytona 500 and went on to finish ninth in the big race. Bringing the famed No. 3 back to the NSCS, he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders and seemed to handle it all with his head held high.

Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman: The Swan Racing duo had to race their way into the Daytona 500 the previous Thursday in the Budweiser Duels. Whitt finished 11th while Kligerman finished 17th, respectively, in their Duel races. Just outside the top-15 with a good qualifying speed.

Starting Sunday’s race 23rd and 41st respectively, the duo were both caught up in wrecks and didn’t finish the race but just making the field was victory enough.

Justin Allgaier: Qualifying 40th for the Daytona 500 on speed after his 20th place finish in his Duel race put him outside the top-15. Allgaier ran a respectable race Sunday night, finishing 27th, and can move on to Phoenix happy with his finish.

Alex Bowman: Qualifying 23rd for the Great American Race, Bowman drove under the radar for most of the weekend. Finishing his Duel race in 15th, the final transfer spot, put a smile on his and the team’s face as it locked them in to the big race. Bowman finished right where he started in 23rd on Sunday night and has nothing to hang his head about.

MISSES

Kyle Larson: One of the favorites to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Larson got the season off to a really rocky start in Daytona. Hitting the wall in the beginning laps of the race, Larson just couldn’t quite get the No. 42 Target Chevrolet to his liking. Let’s hope Phoenix treats this rookie a little better than Daytona.

Ryan Truex: In his first attempt at making the field, the younger Truex couldn’t quite get in. Being caught up in a wreck in the second Duel, he finished 19th and just missed getting into the field for the Daytona 500. Starting off the season with a DNQ isn’t what he, his team or his older brother Martin, wanted to see.

Michael Annett: Ending his Daytona 500 in a wreck, Annett started 36th and finished 37th. Being caught up in a wreck in his Duel race as well, this team had a lot of work on their hands to get ready for Sunday’s race. Phoenix and Las Vegas will be the big races for this single car team as they try and build their racing resume and sponsorship.

Austin Dillon: Yes, Dillon gets the nod in both categories as he made quite a few mistakes out on the track Sunday night. Being caught up in three separate incidents that led to yellow flags, Dillon was the main culprit in two of them. If he hopes to gain respect from the leaders of the series, the rookie driver needs to be a little more cautious out on the track. These next few races will be telltale signs as to how his season will start out.

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The final two 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie drivers that I will take a look at are Austin Dillon and Justin Allgaier. Both of these talented individuals have worked their way up through the lower series and are getting their chance in a Sprint Cup Series ride. For Dillon and Allgaier, it hasn’t always come easy but getting their chance to run with the veterans of this sport every week will make for a season they won’t forget. Austin Dillon: Collecting championships in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2011) and the Nationwide Series (2013), Austin Dillon is used to making headlines. The grandson of racing icon Richard Childress, Dillon has had to work his way up through the ranks and will be one of the high profile rookies competing this season.

He kicked off his 2014 campaign by announcing the return of the famed No. 3 to the Sprint Cup Series, something that hasn’t happened since Dale Earnhardt’s death at the 2001 Daytona 500. Dillon proved to be fast in the iconic race car by topping the charts during preseason thunder in early January.

Can he follow that up with a fast car during Speedweeks? We will have to wait and see, but one thing is for certain – Dillon will be one rookie making headlines multiple times this season.

Justin Allgaier: In one of NASCAR’s famed “Worst Kept Secrets,” it was announced just recently that Justin Allgaier would be moving up to the Sprint Cup Series with Phoenix Racing, driving the No. 51 Brandt Chevrolet.

Allgaier spent five seasons in the Nationwide Series and collected three wins. His best finish in the standings was third in 2011. With his wins coming at Bristol, Chicago and Montreal, Allgaier can handle any type of track on the circuit and that versatility will help him get a handle of these larger Sprint Cup cars.

The 2008 ARCA/ReMax Series Champion will be the first full-time driver this organization has seen in a while and that consistency will be the backbone of this team. Moving up to the top tier series with a reliable team like Phoenix Racing was a good move on Allgaier’s part. He could take this team far as he gains a little more experience in the series.

These two rookies enter the series with a handful of Sprint Cup experience under their belts and that will help them immensely in their first season campaigns. Dillon is one of the favorites to win the ROTY title this season and could possibly contend for wins in 2014.

Each season, a new Rookie NASCAR Sprint Cup Series class emerges with yellow strips and little experience racing in the top tier. With fresh eyes, they take a look at the task at hand and try to learn everything they possibly can about the car, the track and their team. Each weekend the driver is building that important racing notebook they can look back on for years to come. This season, the series is seeing it’s biggest rookie class in recent history. With eight new drivers running for the coveted Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season, 2014 is gearing up to be one of the best rookie battles ever.

Here is a look at the two rookies driving for BK Racing: Alex Bowman and Ryan Truex.

Alex Bowman: Another 20-year old with a 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride is Alex Bowman. Finishing eleventh in his first full season of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, he has yet to make a Cup start.

Getting behind the wheel of the re-numbered No. 23, with sponsorship from Dr. Pepper, Bowman could use this opportunity to build his racing resume and gain some insightful knowledge in NASCAR’s top series.

With two top-5 and six top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series, while driving for RAB Racing in the No.99, Bowman was a contender for race wins but came up short of victory lane. He collected two poles in 2013, both at Texas.

Although I think he could have benefitted from one more season in the Nationwide Series, this offer was too good to pass up. Being at BK Racing where he can grow and learn how to drive these cars will be good for his career long term.

Ryan Truex: BK Racing is going for fresh faces by adding Ryan Truex to their driver line-up along with Bowman this season. Younger brother to Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Truex has never completed a full season in one of NASCAR’s major touring series.

With two K&N Pro Series East championships under his belt in 2009 and 2010, this 21-year old has shown a lot of talent. Competing in 35 Nationwide Series races between 2010 and 2012, Truex collected two top-5 and nine top-10 finishes including one pole award.

Racing in only four NASCAR sanctioned events in 2013, three being Sprint Cup Series races, Truex still has a lot to learn about driving these Sprint Cup machines. With a team like BK Racing, he has time to build that oh-so-important notebook which would be the ultimate payoff for this young driver.

BK Racing is taking a chance in signing two young rookie drivers to their organization.  Although this could lead to some high repair bills, it could also prove to be a great move in the long run. Both team’s chances of reaching victory lane in 2014 are very slim but racing in NASCAR’s top series every week will be worth the struggle.

Each season, a new rookie class emerges with yellow strips and little experience. With fresh eyes, they take a look at the task at hand and try to learn everything they possibly can about the car, the track and the team each weekend, building that important notebook that they can look back on for years to come.

This season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is seeing its biggest rookie class in recent history. With eight new drivers running for the coveted Rookie of the Year award, 2014 is gearing up to be one of the best Rookie of the Year battles ever.

Here is a look at two of the rookies in the class of 2014, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson and Tommy Baldwin Racing’s Michael Annett.

Kyle Larson: With just one full season in NASCAR’s lower series, 21-year-old Kyle Larson will take the wheel of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. Although he has just a little experience racing at NASCAR’s highest level, Larson could do very well in the Sprint Cup Series. With youth on his side, Larson has proved that he can drive just about anything you put him in.

Collecting nine top five and seventeen top 10 finishes in his 2013 rookie campaign in the Nationwide Series, Larson is talented far beyond his years. Four of his top fives were runner-up finishes at tracks of varying difficulties: Bristol, Michigan, Dover and Homestead. There doesn’t seem to be a track that Larson can’t handle and after finishing 15th at Homestead in the Sprint Cup Series finale, he heads to Daytona with a good run in the books.

The one big question lingering over Larson are those wondering if he moved up too soon. The 2014 season will be a learning experience for this young driver but given a few years, he may just be the next generations Jimmie Johnson.

Michael Annett: Tommy Baldwin and Michael Annett reunite as Annett signs on to drive the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet in 2014 for Tommy Baldwin Racing.  Working together during Annett’s ARCA Series tenure, Baldwin guided Annett to two race wins with Bill Davis Racing.

Replacing veteran Dave Blaney, 27-year-old Annett spent five full seasons in the NNS with his best finish of five in the standings (2012). Missing a handful of races in 2013 due to injury, Annett bounced back to end the season with eleven straight top 20 finishes.

Annett’s best year in the NNS came in 2012 when he collected a total of six top five and 17 top 10 finishes. After a hard crash in Daytona and the resulting fractured sternum, Annett was sidelined for nine races in 2013. His championship hopes went out the window early in the season.

Moving up to the NSCS with Kevin “Bono” Manion on top of the pit box could prove to be a good combination for this small team. Although he has yet to make a start in the NSCS, Annett should do well on the mile-and-a-half tracks as well as the superspeedways.

Sporting a yellow bumper all season long, both Larson and Annett have a lot to learn about racing with the veterans. Larson may have the most to prove this season with only one season in NASCAR’s junior class but with a little patience, I think we may be looking at a Sprint Cup Series champion in the future.

Each season, a new rookie class emerges with yellow strips and little experience. With fresh eyes, they take a look at the task at hand and try to learn everything they possibly can about the car, the track and the team each weekend, building that important notebook that they can look back on for years to come.

This season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is seeing it’s biggest rookie class in recent history. With eight new drivers running for the coveted Rookie of the Year award, 2014 is gearing up to be one of the best Rookie of the Year battles ever.

Here is a look at two of the rookies in this year’s class, the Swan Racing duo of Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman.

Cole Whitt: After losing his full-time Nationwide Series ride at JR Motorsports at the end of 2012, Cole Whitt is back and moving up. In 2014 the 22-year old will be behind the wheel of the No. 26 Swan Racing machine in the Sprint Cup Series.

Making seven NSCS starts last season, Whitt got a taste of the new Gen-6 car and some of the circuits toughest tracks. With his best finish of 25th at Phoenix in 2011, Whitt has a lot of room for improvement but at just 22, time is on his side. Whitt finished seventh in NNS standings in 2012 and although he hasn’t collected a win in one of NASCAR’s major touring series, his talent behind the wheel speaks for itself.

Whitt could prove to be a factor in races where speed is high, such as Daytona, Talladega, Texas and Kansas. Being with a team like Swan Racing leaves Whitt with room for improvement and growth for the future.

Parker Kligerman: Another young driver in the Sprint Cup Series, 23-year-old Parker Kligerman is getting his chance at a full-time Sprint Cup Series ride. Piloting the No. 30 for Swan Racing, Kligerman showed promise in his two starts for the team in 2013 with an 18th place finish at Texas and 25th place finish at Homestead.

Finishing ninth in NNS standings for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Kligerman had three top five and 13 top-10 finishes in 2013 in his first full season in the series. Kligerman competed in the Camping World Truck Series for two seasons, collecting one win at Talladega in 2012.

Having two young drivers at Swan Racing in 2014 could prove to be a great success in the future of this small team.

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