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FORT WORTH, Texas — Trey Robb loves NASCAR, but he won't be at Texas Motor Speedway today watching the Sprint Cup Samsung 500.

Sure, NASCAR's top series only gets this close to the 15-year-old's Newcastle home twice a year, but if Robb wants to achieve his Sprint Cup dream, he won't get there by sitting in the bleachers.

Robb and his father, Perry, plan to be in Anderson, Ind., today watching a United States Auto Club race and preparing to test their own car on that track Monday.

Like many teenage racers, Robb is trying to position himself for an opportunity in NASCAR — a challenge that becomes more difficult every year.

Not only is the talent pool of drivers like Robb growing with the ever-expanding popularity of the Sprint Cup, now NASCAR is drawing the world's top racers from other series.

Imagine team owner George Steinbrenner signing the entire roster of the Chunichi Dragons to come over from Japan to replace his New York Yankees.

Seems ridiculous, but the equivalent happens a few times every offseason in NASCAR.

With the influx of drivers like Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya and others from the world's top open-wheel circuits, breaking into NASCAR is tougher now than it's ever been.

"There's still only 43 spots on Sunday,” said Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski, a 24-year-old who ranks sixth in points with JR Motorsports.

Lots of Cup drivers have gotten to the top of the profession using the path Keselowski is on. The Michigan native started in quarter midgets before graduating to factory stocks, then late models. But not everyone has the type of opportunity afforded Keselowski to break in with a NASCAR series. His father, Bob, owned a Craftsman Truck Series team and in 2004, put his son behind the wheel. That gave him the exposure to get into the Nationwide Series and eventually land with his current team.

Good fortune is part of the equation to getting to Sprint Cup. David Ragan was hanging around, racing occasionally in the Truck Series until he got his big break with the Roush Racing program, "Driver X,” in 2005.

His success there catapulted him to a Nationwide ride, and now, a permanent spot on Roush's Cup team driving the No. 6 Ford.

The son of a former Cup driver, Ragan relied on his father's experience to carry him to NASCAR.

"There are a lot of kids with the money to race that don't know how to do it,” Ragan said. "You have to know what series guys like Jack Roush and Richard Childress are looking at for their next drivers. There's no draft or school to teach you how to become a Sprint Cup driver.

"When your opportunity comes, you have to be ready.”

That's what Robb is preparing himself for in Indiana this week. He turns 16 in May and will be eligible to race in USAC.

"A lot of NASCAR people scout USAC,” Perry Robb said. "They might know you if you're a really good driver, but until you get in USAC and run well, you're not on the map. That's really a proving ground.

"A lot of us parents like to think we have the best young driver, but there are a lot of talented racers that will never get a shot. And there are becoming even fewer. You can do all the right things and there's still a chance you won't make it.”

And the outlook doesn't appear to be getting easier anytime soon.

"There's a bigger crop of talent than there's ever been, or possibly will ever be. It's very tough,” Keselowski said. "There aren't any easy answers for a young driver, other than not to give up. You're not gonna catch any breaks if you're not there and not trying.”