Some Cup rookies are fulfilling the hype. Some aren't.

Fifteen races are in the books and 21 more remain before the Nextel Cup championship is awarded in Homestead, Fla., on Nov. 19. Even though we're not quite at the halfway point of the season, it's not too early to dole out midterm grades to this year's highly touted rookie class:

Denny Hamlin

Car: No. 11. Fed-Ex Chevy. Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

When Hamlin made his first start on the Cup circuit in Kansas City last October, the expectations for the native of Chesterfield, Va., were low. He didn't disappoint, finishing an underwhelming 32nd. But then, in the next six starts he made late in '05, Hamlin consistently ran in the lead pack, finishing in the top 10 a hard-to-believe three times. Because of his success, Hamlin entered this season as the favorite to capture rookie-of-the-year honors. Well, the favorite has lived up to the hype ... and then some. Hamlin is currently ninth in the points -- ahead of such veterans as Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards -- and in the last six races, he has one victory, one second-place finish, and hasn't finished outside of the top 12. The 25-year-old clearly belongs up in the Big Show of the Cup series, and it would take an upset of monumental proportions for him not to finish as this year's top rookie.

GRADE: A-plus

Clint Bowyer

Car: No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevy. Team: Richard Childress Racing

Bowyer started the year with a splash, finishing sixth at the Daytona 500, but since then he's pretty much disappeared into that pack of drivers struggling to stay on the lead lap -- a group that includes the likes of Kyle Petty and Robbie Gordon. Bowyer does have a bright future, especially considering the gains that Richard Childress Racing has made the last six months. But don't expect Bowyer to make much more noise this season.

GRADE: B-plus

Reed Sorenson

Car: No. 41 Target Dodge. Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Last Sunday at Michigan, Sorenson did something that's blue-moon rare in NASCAR: the rookie outsmarted the veterans in the field. With the skies over Michigan International Speedway threatening rain a little past the midway point of the race, the caution flag came out. While virtually every driver in the field pitting and taking four tires, Sorenson gambled, taking just two. Because of his quick stop, Sorenson jumped from 11th to first when he exited pit road. If the rain had come just then, Sorenson would have won the race. But it didn't. Sorenson was eventually passed by Kasey Kahne, finally ending fifth -- the best result of his Cup career. Although Sorenson had been a non-factor until then, he's made an impression on the rank-and-file in the garage, who generally agree that he has some serious talent. Sorenson is currently 20th in points.

GRADE: C-plus

Martin Truex Jr.

Car: No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Truex, a 26-year-old from Mayetta, N.J, entered 2006 as the two-time defending Busch Series champion. Because of his impressive racing resume, many in the garage thought Truex would give Hamlin a good run for the rookie of the year honors. Alas, it hasn't worked out that way. There's little question that Truex will one day be a force on the circuit and that he and Dale Jr. will constitute a formidable one-two punch for DEI, but it's just not happening this season. So far Truex only has one top-10 finish (Texas in April) and he's currently 24th in points.

GRADE: C

David Stremme

Car: No. 40 Coors Lite Dodge. Team: Chip Ganassi Racing

Here's all you need to know about Stremme's season. On Sunday the 29-year-old Stremme won't even be behind the wheel because his owner, Chip Ganassi, has zero confidence in his ability to perform on the road course in Sonoma, Calif. Driving Sterling Marlin's old Coors Light Dodge (remember just four years ago when this car was competing for the championship?), Stremme is currently 36th in points. There's no other way to say this: Stremme's season has been a disaster.

GRADE: F

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