Grading NASCAR's rookies through the beginning of the season

With three full-time NASCAR Cup Series rookies taking the track this year, it's time to grade the first-year drivers with six races under their belt. Let's take a look at the rookie class so far. 

Josh Berry, No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Stewart-Haas Racing: C

Berry's 28th place points standing might have people thinking it's been all bad for the 33 year-old rookie, but one race stands out: Bristol, where Berry led 25 laps and finished 12th in a race that was as much in the drivers' hands as any race ever. 

The rest of his races have been rather mundane, but fans should hold out hope for Berry's next couple races on the Virginia short tracks — he finished second at Richmond last season while filling in for Chase Elliott, and got his first career Xfinity Series win at Martinsville in 2021. 

Zane Smith, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro, Spire Motorsports: D

When Smith hasn't been involved in incidents, he's been pretty solid, finishing 13th in the Daytona 500 and 19th in a COTA race where he ran inside the top 15 at times. The problem is the other four races, in which he's been involved in incidents every single time. 

Smith has three finishes of 35th or worse, and with 36 cars starting week in and week out in the NASCAR Cup Series, that's not a flattering statistic. Smith showed his driving prowess in the Truck Series, but needs to steer clear of the wrecks if he wants to carve out a Cup Series career. 

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro, Spire Motorsports: C+

If Hocevar wasn't involved in a crash on lap five of the Daytona 500, he'd likely be ahead of his teammate, Corey Lajoie, in points. Hocevar currently sits 25th, highest of all the rookies so far. He put together three consecutive top 20 finishes from Atlanta to Phoenix, with Las Vegas and Phoenix both being 15th place runs. 

If Hocevar can keep up his solid start, he may be a dark horse to make the playoffs. Keep your eye out for him at Gateway on June 2 — Hocevar made his way into the top 20 in his first Cup Series start last June before a failing brake rotor took him out of contention.