updated 1:51 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2006

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - For many years, NASCAR rookies simply stuck yellow stripes on their back bumpers, then tried to stay out of the way.

Jeff Gordon changed that in 1993 when he got a top ride at Hendrick Motorsports and immediately showed he could race with the elite in what was then the Winston Cup series. Gordon didn’t win, but he came up with a pole, five top fives and 11 top 10s on the way to winning Rookie of the Year.

The bar was elevated even more in 1999 when Tony Stewart set a rookie record with three victories. Since then, a lot more has been expected of the first-year drivers — and a lot more has been accomplished by them.

Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced to victories in 2000, and Kevin Harvick won in just his third start in 2001. The next year, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson waged one of the best rookie battles, combining for four wins and 10 poles and both finishing among the top six in points.

FREE VIDEO Revving up Feb. 2: Kurt Busch, 2005 champ Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, pictured, look ahead to the '06 season. NBC Sports

In 2003, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle went down to the wire for rookie honors. The next year, Kasey Kahne had five runner-up finishes and was in contention for the Chase for the Championship until the final qualifying event. Last year, Kyle Busch showed the way with a pole, two wins and nine top 10 finishes.

This season could offer the deepest and most talented rookie field in NASCAR history. The race for the 2006 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year begins Feb. 19 with the Daytona 500, with eight official rookie candidates aiming for starting spots in the 43-car field.

The most heralded is Martin Truex Jr., moving to the top series full time after two straight Busch Series titles. But, like boss and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who also came to the Cup after winning two straight Busch titles, it won’t be easy.

Earnhardt lost the rookie title to Kenseth, and Truex will be hard-pressed to hold off a group of competitors that includes Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson and Denny Hamlin — second, fourth and fifth in last year’s Busch standings — former U.S. Auto Club short track champion J.J. Yeley, 2003 Busch Rookie of the Year David Stremme, 2004 ARCA series runner-up Brent Sherman and Craftsman Truck Series veteran Chad Chaffin, 24th in that series last year despite missing four races.

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Five of this year’s rookies are in their 20s. Sorenson, who turned 20 on Feb. 5, is the youngest; Sherman (31) and Chaffin (37) are the oldest.

Truex will race for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Bowyer joins Harvick and Jeff Burton at Richard Childress Racing. Sorenson and Stremme replace McMurray and longtime star Sterling Marling at Chip Ganassi Racing. Yeley and Hamlin join reigning and two-time Cup champion Stewart at Joe Gibbs Racing. Sherman replaces veteran Kenny Schrader at BAM Racing, and late-addition Chaffin will drive for little-known Front Row Motorsports in a ride held last season by several drivers, including Chaffin.

“If Martin has the equipment, he’s going to be there,” Bowyer said. “The bottom line is every one of those guys can take away the rookie of the year honors. It would be pretty cool to come down to the end of the year in a battle with Martin like it was last year and have that shoe on the other foot.”

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