411 Raceday Special Edition: NASCAR Report Card-March Edition
Posted by Greg Kentz on 04.08.2007
Everybody is getting a grade, well almost everybody....
Welcome to the 2007 season's March report card, The February report card can be found at http://blog.myspace.com/downcannon. The format is pretty simple; each team gets a grade, based on their performance compared to the expectations of the team headed into the year. This report card is graded on the first five races of the year, up to Bristol.
01 Mark Martin: A+
The veteran is currently seventh overall in points, and he's that low by choice. Mark, and Ginn's deep pockets, has turned around a struggling operation into one of the pleasant surprises in NASCAR. Mark has been spectacular, with four top tens and three top fives in just four races. I almost took away the + behind his A, but then I realized in only four races he has more points than a lot of folks who raced all five, including four former champs (Stewart, Labonte, Busch, and Jarrett) and three guys from last year's chase (Earnhardt, Kahne, and Hamlin). I guess he deserves the A+.
1 Martin Truex Jr.: D+
Martin Truex Jr. is really getting whacked for his poor showing last week at Bristol. After two poor performances to open the season, Marty put a solid pair of runs back to back, and seemed to have started a turn around. Last week was a step back however, and his being at 25th overall is below my expectations. Truex has had two good races and three poor ones. I expect at least average finishes, so more bad than good leaves Truex with a D+.
2 Kurt Busch: D+
Everything I just wrote about martin Truex Jr., you could say about Busch. The only difference is that Busch is a former cup champ, who really shouldn't be having this one week on, one week off type of season. Kurt's a former champ, and is well outside of the top ten, so he is below where he should be, however he does have two real nice runs, and probably could have been a contender at Daytona. The bottom line is that he's still in position to get into the top twelve with two good runs back to back, so his early season struggles should not be too big of a concern. April's report card will not be so forgiving.
5 Kyle Busch: B-
Kyle gets over-aggressive at the end of the Daytona 500, a race he has no shot at winning, crashes into Matt Kenseth, and costs himself a top five. Kyle has the lead in a weaker car, and Burton doesn't destroy him at Bristol because Kyle has been respectful in the past. Whatever you say Jeff. Regardless of the hows and whys, Kyle has a win under his belt, and is in position to get into the chase. So he's really tied for second with race winners Harvick and Kenseth, behind Johnson for first based on how the chase will restructure things. Maybe driving balls to the wall to try and steal a win you probably don't have a shot at isn't such a bad thought after all, especially when you have the equipment and talent Kyle does, the kind that all but guarantee a spot in a 12 car chase field.
6 David Ragan: C-
David is currently 22nd overall, which would be above where most would have thought before the year. I can't go higher than a C- since we all know the end of Daytona gave a lot of drivers a lot of points they normally wouldn't have gotten. On top of that, this car's finishes have been lackluster at best as of late. I don't think after the four April races this kid will still be in the top 25, maybe out of the top 30.
07 Clint Bowyer: B+
As he did in February, Clint gets a B+. This second-year driver is making the most out of the strong equipment RCR has supplied. Sitting 8th overall is well above most expectations, I was pretty high on Bowyer coming into the year, and so we'll go with the B+. It should be noted that Clint could easily flip flop points positions and grades with Truex, had Truex not lost a motor in California. Clint needs to avoid the dangers that hampered his finishes in Daytona (not his fault) and Las Vegas (avoidable).
7 Robby Gordon: C+
Robby hasn't exactly set the world on fire, but he is in 21st overall, which is pretty respectable. A tough finish at Bristol knocked him down from 16th, so the early part of the year was even better. I like Robby, and am pulling for him to maybe steal a road course win, and then make a run at the chase. I seriously doubt either of those happen, but here's to hoping.
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: C-
Junior has stormed back after I motivated him by dropping the F bomb on him after an abysmal February. The past month has seen three strong finishes, his first top ten of the year, and as much momentum as any driver in Nextel cup. Expect junior to be in the top twelve after April with a win under his belt (I'm looking at you Texas).
9 Kasey Kahne: F
Inexcusable. That's the word for it. Kasey has no right being in the fight to stay exempt. This season so far has been beyond a disappointment, and Kasey better turn it around quickly. Kahne's crew chief Kenny Francis is now back with the team after a four week suspension, perhaps they can start something to build on with last year's chase team back together. As of right now however, things aren't looking good.
10 Scott Riggs: F-
I'm not sure if there is such a thing as an F-, but holy sh!t, has this kid been awful. Scott finished 20th overall last year after missing Daytona, and I had hoped he would step up and fight for a chase spot this year now that getting in on speed isn't a worry. I guess I was wrong, I don't think there's a single more disappointing driver in Nextel cup this season.
11 Denny Hamlin: B
This kid's pretty good, he's 9th overall, overcoming getting caught in the mess at the end of Daytona, and engine trouble at the end of Bristol. It appears this team is every bit as strong as it was last year. Denny is succeeding well in that car for the third straight season. I know he only ran at the end of '05, but he kicked ass then too. I will admit I miss Jason Leffler crashing this car every week, now that was fun. Can we get Leffler a cup ride? I'd love to see that again. Crap, I've lost focus, uh… Hamlin will make the chase again this year, and should be a suitable tag team partner for Stewart and makes them as good as any 1-2 punch in NASCAR, aside from Johnson-Gordon.
12 Ryan Newman: D
I dislike Ryan Newman, he ruined my fantasy team last year and I will not forgive him. Somewhere in the back of my closet is a rarely worn Newman baseball style jersey that will never again see the light of day; it's just too painful to look at. Seriously, Newman is 23rd overall and, despite my contempt, he is well below my expectations. I honestly thought Ryan would rebound from last year and be a chase contender again, I guess I was wrong and Ryan gets a D, for disappointment.
13 Joe Nemechek: C+
Joe is back to 28th overall after failing to make the Food City 500 on speed. Still, Joe's racing when out there has been well above what was expected. Joe also is well within the top 35 so he now doesn't have to worry about getting in on speed. Joe is a big part of Ginn racing becoming a serious contender, and with him automatically in every race next year (and Martin full time?) he should be even better.
14 Sterling Marlin: D
Sterling finished 34th overall in 2006, so you'd think his 31st position now would get a C or even C+, but with the results Martin and Nemechek have gotten since Bobby Ginn took over, I have to say Sterling is not doing as well as he could and\or should be.
16 Greg Biffle: D+
One top ten (fifth at Bristol with an illegal set up) after five races. The Biff is 16th overall, and that doesn't sit well with me. After missing last year's chase, Biffle needed to come back this year, and send a message to the rest of the field that he was ready to be a force once again. Instead he has performed in mediocre fashion throughout the beginning of the year. Hopefully Bristol is a harbinger of success being around the corner. Not too confident about that, but hopefully.
17 Matt Kenseth: A
What'd you expect? Kenseth is a force. Matt is a permanent contender and will be for a long time. The Wisconsin native has a car every week that he could win with, and he always makes the most out of that opportunity. Matt had a great run to start the season, and with crew chief Robbie Reiser back in the mix, these guys could get even better, and that's a scary thought since these guys are fourth overall despite Kyle Busch taking them down twenty something places at the end of Daytona.
18 J.J. Yeley: D+
J.J. started the season in promising fashion, but has slipped over the last three races. He's 15th overall in points, which isn't that far below expectations, but I expected this team to be a contender this season. Yeley is a solid young driver that should continue to receive quality racecars to contend with on a weekly basis. Until he starts staying in the top 15 or so every race, J.J. will continue to be regarded as a disappointment.
19 Elliott Sadler: C+
Sadler is currently 13th overall which is above what I expected, but not at all in an impressive fashion. Sadler was a huge letdown to many race fans last year, and, although he has recovered to some degree, he needs to get back into the chase to truly be exceeding expectations. Making the chase may be pushing it a little for this team, especially since they haven't even sniffed the top ten since finishing 6th at Daytona to start the year.
20 Tony Stewart: D+
I understand Tony is in position to make the chase, but I am seriously under whelmed by his performance so far this season. My expectations up until this point would be top six in overall points and a win. Maybe Bristol wasn't his fault, but Daytona sure was, and those two finishes combined with a goose egg in wins leaves Tony with a D+. Next month when Smoke wins a race, and leapfrogs some of the weaker drivers in standings, then we can talk about moving the grade up a bit.
22 Dave Blaney: D-
Toyota's highest ranked driver, although that doesn't seem to mean much. Dave is now racing on speed to get into races and it appears to be only a matter of time before we see a Toyota free race. That would be bad for Toyota, and for Dave here. Blaney needs to continue to focus on getting solid runs so he can try to overtake Johnny Sauter for that 35th spot. Sauter's advantage is only 21 points, which can certainly be attained in a single race.
24 Jeff Gordon: A
Last month I gave Jeff an A- and told him I'd like to see him at the front of races more. Since then he has led 148 laps over three races, as well as taken over the points lead. So now he gets an A, and is told to stay at the front of races. Jeff just got beat by Johnson in Vegas, and was blown away at the restart by Jeff Burton at Bristol. He had cars that could've won either race, so I can't give him an A+, but there's always April.
25 Casey Mears: D
Casey almost got F'd before a top ten at Bristol saved him. Mears need to use that solid finish as the foundation of a solid year. Casey has been a huge letdown so far in his first season at Hendrick, but it is early in the year, so all is not lost. Casey can easily contend for a chase spot by knocking out a few top tens in a row, then again so could Kyle Petty, so let's not get our hopes up. Sometimes switching teams is just too much, even when moving to one of the elite teams in NASCAR, just ask….
26 Jamie McMurray: B-
He's 18th overall, but everybody's second favorite #26 is seriously on a tear. For him at least. Only once all last year did young Jamie even get consecutive top ten finishes, Bristol marked three straight for Jamie. I gave Jamie an F after dismal showings to begin the year, but his response has been phenomenal and this kid may have a future just yet.
29 Kevin Harvick: A
Fifth overall is nothing to sneeze at, but I'll admit I'm a little down on Harvick after a sub-par March. After last season's Busch dominance, a run at the cup title, and a sweep at Daytona I put Harvick in the highest of high categories and said he was as good as Johnson, Kenseth, and Stewart. Now I will take a step back from that statement. Harvick is as good as any driver in NASCAR, but Kevin can not be considered truly elite until he puts a Nextel cup in his trophy case. Same goes for Kyle Busch and……
31 Jeff Burton: A+
Second overall, can't do much better than that. I would like to see a win with all of those top fives, but who's going to complain about top fives in four out of five races? Burton, along with teammate Kevin Harvick (and maybe Bowyer, although that's asking a lot), has a real chance to win the overall title. Richard Childress Racing put cars in the chase last year, and because of that experience they should be better prepared to win it all this year. I'm not saying they will, just saying their chances are improved over last season.
38 David Gilliland: C+
David started the season by grabbing a ton of attention and the pole for Daytona. After finishing Daytona in the top ten, David has since slid backwards with a series of solid runs. Well, solid for a struggling team with a rookie driver. Either way this team is faring much better than teammate Ricky Rudd is, so the season has to be above what mild expectations they had going in.
40 David Stremme: A-
David continues to hang around the top twelve, and now a month after a surprising start the drop off I was expecting still hasn't happened. David has raced good, smart, steady races and has positioned himself to have a real chance at the chase for the cup. I can't go the full A+, since even if he did make the chase, he would be tremendously overmatched. David hasn't even registered a top ten yet, so I don't think he can be considered a real contender until he not only nets a top ten, but he has to show there is at least a chance he could, you know, win a race. Right now he's in position to make the chase mainly due to him not making the mistakes that some other drivers (Earnhardt, Busch, Biffle to name a few) have.
41 Reed Sorenson: C-
After an impressive rookie campaign, Reed has fallen off the pace a bit in 2007. Of course, two last place finishes in five races will do that to you. Last season Reed was a solid rookie that really seemed to be improving rapidly as the season progressed. Reed's early struggles aside, I expect he'll recover, stay in one piece more often and could end up as the best of the three Ganassi cars for the rest of the year. Speaking of Ganassi cars….
42 Juan Pablo Montoya: B
Juan turned a lot of heads in Atlanta with a nice top five finish that boosted him up to 15th overall. Then Juan struggle at Bristol and dropped back to 19th. Not that that's anything to be ashamed of considering this guy never raced stock cars before. Long story short is Montoya had to be expected to end up around 20th when the season was all said and done. The fact that he's already there shows that maybe his upside for this season is higher than people expected, then again it's a long year. Then again, again, this guy could end up in the chase as a rookie, and I think Montoya is the best bet to put Ganassi into victory lane this season. Although the chase part of that statement, is quite a stretch.
43 Bobby Labonte: B-
Sitting 14th overall has to be a success for this team, although I'm sure this former cup champion isn't overly impressed. Labonte had yet to run a top ten, and although the same thing soured me on Stremme, it actually makes Labonte's season seem that much more promising. This team was running very strong at the end of last season, and if Bobby can find that groove again this year, then we can finally see the 43 car back in championship contention. Of course if they don't start to dial in soon and land those top tens, they're going to be left behind, just look at the recent surges by Earnhardt and McMurray as proof of that.
44 Dale Jarrett: F
The fact that this is a new team is all that keeps these guys from the dreaded F- that I slapped Scotty Riggs with. Talk about dismal, this team can't run at all, they are almost out of provisional starts, and soon they may be sitting out races altogether. Dale Jarrett has been awful for a few years now, although I'm hoping it's largely due to equipment. I'd like to see Dale recover and start to be a factor again, but with the surge of young hungry talent that has swept over NASCAR the last couple of years, I'm fairly certain the writing is on the wall for this legend, and his time has passed as a full time driver.
45 Kyle Petty: C
What did you expect it's Kyle Petty? He is barely above the cutoff for exemption and that's where he'll stay all season, he by far the easiest driver to grade, since he always seems to do what you expect. However I'm holding out for a 28th overall finish for Kyle, after he nails consecutive top tens at some point this summer. Don't snicker, its going to happen.
48 Jimmie Johnson: A
He's won two of the first five races, and a third place finish at California. Jimmie is running like Jimmie, and although he isn't first overall in points currently, he will be once the chase starts since he leads the series in victories. Everything seems to be coming together for a serious run at repeating as champion. Nothing much else to say, he's a great racer that always seems to perform up to the high level he is expected to.
55 Michael Waltrip: N-A (No grade can properly assess the failure that is the #55 NAPA team)
Wait a second there Scotty Riggs; this is the worst team in NASCAR and not just this year, but maybe in the history of the sport. Mikey was crucified after getting caught cheating at Daytona, and hasn't been able to get in a race since. So to review, the team shamed itself before it ever ran a race, was severely penalized for their infractions, made Daytona, ran decent, missed the next four races, and after two months they are still in negative for overall points. Wow! It just doesn't get any worse than that.
66 Jeff Green: B-
Jeff struggled early in the season, and as the fifth race at Bristol loomed, Jeff found himself right on the edge of the top 35 cutoff. It's worth mentioning that is exactly where I expected him to be, fighting it out in the mid thirties overall. Green then drove his finest race of the season, and finished sixth, putting quite a bit of distance between himself and the cutoff point and moving him up to 27th overall. Nicely done, and certainly above the limited expectations I had for this team.
70 Johnny Sauter: B
Johnny ran two very solid races to start he year, and is now reaping the benefits. Sauter missed qualifying at Bristol, and nearly fell out of the top 35 as a result. Now that he is in the top 35 he needs to get back to running in the teens and learning as much as he can while out there. But for a rookie in a small program's car, I'd say Johnny's doing pretty well thus far.
83 Brian Vickers: C
When Brian has made races he's looked pretty good on the track, certainly the best of any of the Toyota drivers. Brian can't seem to consistently get on the track however, and he's going to have to speed his way in for at least the near future. That said Vickers has run well, and should be taken seriously as contender once Team Red Bull gets their feet wet as a NASCAR organization, and is the only Toyota driver that has even a prayer of winning a race this season. (Unless something happens at a restrictor plate track, you can never tell who'll end up front at one of those.)
88: Ricky Rudd: D
His car is a crapbox, except at the super speedways, and Ricky has stunk the joint up for the most part this season. I don't see that changing any time soon. I hope Yates can get their stuff together, and I look forward to Ricky at a road course, but this season looks pretty bleak. Thankfully they've managed to stay I the top 35 to this point, and it will only get easier from here on out.
96 Tony Raines: C+
He's 30th overall with a high finish of 19th. Sounds about what you'd expect. On second thought, he was 35th overall last year, so 30th is a little high. Anyway I'm allergic to talking about Tony Raines for any length of time, so I'm going to move on.
99 Carl Edwards: B
Look whose back in the mix of things at 10th overall. If it isn't NASCAR's star of tomorrow, Carl Edwards. After a horrid 2006 season, Carl is looking great out there posting two top tens so far this time around. If strong runs like these keep up, Carl is going to find himself back in the chase, and back on my TV starring in every other NASCAR related commercial.
That's going to wrap things up for this month, as always feel free to send along any thoughts you all may have, thanks for reading. I'll be back next Sunday with the review of Martinsville and the Texas preview.
