David Ragan

CONCORD, N.C. -- David Ragan's NASCAR Sprint Cup career started inauspiciously in late 2006, when he crashed in two races and was called "a dart without feathers" by veteran Tony Stewart. But Ragan persevered and, now in his second full season on the Cup circuit, the Roush Fenway Racing driver quietly has moved into NASCAR's upper-crust neighborhood with the sport's biggest stars. The Georgia native has yet to win a Cup race, but he's 13th in the point standings.

Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch each has eight wins this season. Jimmie Johnson has six victories and is poised to win his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title. So who does Tony Stewart think is the NASCAR series' driver of the year? David Ragan. David Ragan? Never mind that the 22-year-old Ragan has never won a Cup race. He's Stewart's pick because of how Ragan has matured on the track in the two years since he joined the big leagues of stock car racing.