The primary contenders for the Rookie title were Regan Smith and former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. Smith became the first rookie driver to complete all races entered and nearly won the fall race at Talladega. Hornish meanwhile struggled to quickly adapt to stock cars but finished 7 points behind Smith. Canadian Patrick Carpentier missed the Daytona 500 but won the pole at New Hampshire. Road racer Michael McDowell ran 20 races for Michael Waltrip Racing. 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti managed to run the first 8 races before an injury during the Talladega Nationwide Series race, coupled with owner Chip Ganassi shutting down the No. 40 team, ended Franchitti's bid.