Bryan Clauson, Scott Speed, or Brad Keselowski?

Sprint Cup fans were supposed to receive a rare treat this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway: three heralded young guns making their series debuts. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has wrecked havoc on the track today (yet the radar is clear...damn drizzle I bet), canceling qualifying and sending all three home.

Of course, leave it to Mike Helton and the rest of the NASCAR brass, who all likely rode the short bus once upon a time, not to reschedule it for tomorrow when there is open time on the track.

While Brad Keselowski, Scott Speed, and Bryan Clauson will not garner the attention Joey Logano did a few short weeks ago whenever they eventually make their delayed debut, this trio of young men from vastly different racing backgrounds are a major part of the future of the sport. Which one has the best chance of succeeding? Here is how I have them ranked.

1. Brad Keselowski

Background: The 24-year-old Michigan native is the son of former ARCA champ Bob and broke onto the scene in the Truck Series driving for his father's team in 2004. After two largely unsuccessful seasons, Keselowski moved to the Nationwide Series and Keith Coleman's low-budget operation.

Exceeding expectations there, Germain Racing gave him an opportunity to substitute for Ted Musgrave at the Memphis Truck race in 2007. 200 laps later, and Keselowski had burst onto the scene. Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave him a tryout in his Nationwide car. It was successful, and a year later, he is currently focused on hunting down Clint Bowyer for the series crown. 

Why he might succeed: Obviously, Keselowski has the Hendrick empire behind him, and someday will enjoy Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and possibly Jeff Gordon as teammates. Calm under pressure, this environment will fit him well as he grows as a stock car driver. He also has the pedigree: His father never got a chance at the top echelon of NASCAR but was a talented driver nonetheless.

Why he might not: Whenever he moves up full-time to Hendrick Motorsports' Cup outfit, he will have a hard time fighting for attention with three superstar drivers surrounding him.

As the team's quiet rookie driver, he might quickly become the fourth wheel around the shop and turn into another Casey Mears. Or on the other hand, he could be Kyle Busch. In a related manner, attracting sponsors for Keselowski, who does not fit the image of your typical young gun driver, may be difficult.

Also you have to wonder how long Mark Martin is going to hang around, essentially blocking Brad from advancing to the Sprint Cup. 

2. Scott Speed

Background: Speed, 25 years old and originally from California, started as a young boy in go-karts and won a national karting title by the age of 12. His teenage years saw him compete in several top American open wheel series, catching the eye of the Red Bull American F1 Driver Search.

After being extremely strong in both Formula Renault and GP2, Speed earned a promotion to Scuderia Toro Russo for the 2006 F1 campaign, ending an American drought in F1 stretching back to Michael Andretti in 1993.

After failing to achieve any success, Speed returned to America and began his ascent to Sprint Cup through the ranks of ARCA and the Truck Series, with Red Bull continuing to support his endeavors. 

Why he might succeed: Anyone who can count themselves amongst the 20 or 22 drivers in F1 at any given time is obviously a special driver. Some may contend NASCAR is easier than F1, but I don't agree. NASCAR is a challenge all by itself, but Speed is certainly talented enough to make it work.

Obviously, it is a good indication that he is in line to break Frank Kimmel's long streak of ARCA championships this season, but the competition level is a lot lower in that series than he will face on Sundays in 2009. Plus, Team Red Bull has made huge strides in 2008 and could be on their way to emerging as a Chase threat a year from now. 

Why he might not: Dario Franchitti. Steve Kinser. Jacques Villeneuve. Al Unser Jr. Open-wheel studs, stock-car duds. Very few open wheelers have made the transition to stock cars successfully, although Juan Pablo Montoya, a fellow F1 alum, has arguably done the most of the bunch.

I also worry how patient Dietrich Mateschitz will be with Speed. I know he loves the kid to death, but if he struggles like Allmendinger for a year-and-a-half or two, will that send Scott packing?

Additionally, his attitude concerns me. I get the impression he thinks he is bigger and better than the sport and is just using NASCAR to prove his worth as a driver. I hate to say that, but I believe it is true. His wacky personality and dress may turn off a majority of fans very rapidly. 

3. Bryan Clauson

Background: The 19-year old Clauson was born in California, and from a young age, ascended through the quarter-midget ranks of both California and Indiana. By 2005, he had become a part of Chip Ganassi's driver development program and had become the youngest winner in USAC Midget history.

Since, he has racked up victories in both the Midget and Sprint Car ranks while getting his stock-car career in flight.  

Why he might succeed: David Smith Motorsports, who does a wonderful job of ranking NASCAR prospects, currently has Clauson tied for No. 1 with "Sliced Bread" Logano in its rankings of young guns already on the national circuits. That speaks volumes.

At 18 years old back in February, he tackled Daytona for the first time in the Nationwide Series and brought home a top 10. The kid can obviously wheel a race car, as proven by his track record in the open-wheel ranks. 

Why he might not: Clauson has aligned himself with Chip Ganassi. That might be a good thing if he wanted to be an IndyCar driver, but it will probably send him down the wrong path in NASCAR, like it did with Reed Sorenson. Of course, Clauson could prove to be the savior of Ganassi's Cup operation someday.

Or, between now and whenever Clauson makes the jump to Sprint Cup full-time, the Ganassi organization could get back on its feet. Also, Clauson's sample size in stock cars is relatively small. Bryan has just two top 10s in 23 Nationwide starts, but he has been dealing with Ganassi equipment and Cup invaders each week as well.