[vincesanity82]

With seven races left to determine the 12 drivers who will compete in the 10-week Chase for the Cup, here's a team-by-team report card:

Grade A

Joe Gibbs Racing: Busch has far outshone teammates Stewart and Denny Hamlin, but all three are in position to qualify for the Chase.
Hendrick Motorsports: Team has just two wins after 18 a year ago, but Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon all are in the top six of the standings. Mears, out after just two seasons, is a candidate for Richard Childress' planned fourth car in 2009.
Roush Fenway Racing: Carl Edwards is leading the way with three wins. Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth are moving up and David Ragan is having a solid sophomore season. Only Jamie McMurray is lagging.

Grade B

Richard Childress Racing: Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer could all end up in the Chase, but they have just two wins and 11 top-five finishes among them.
Team Red Bull: Second-year team has made huge strides with Brian Vickers in Chase contention and A.J. Allmendinger starting to figure things out.

Grade C

Gillett Evernham Motorsports: Kasey Kahne is back on track after a year-long slump and Patrick Carpentier has been the most impressive of the open-wheel newcomers. Elliott Sadler continues to puzzle.
Penske Racing: Season has gone sour since Newman and Kurt Busch finished 1-2 in the season-opening Daytona 500. Sam Hornish Jr. is going through expected rookie growing pains. Penske test driver David Stremme is in line to replace Newman, keeping the ride in the hands of a South Bend, Ind., native.
Yates Racing: Running much of the year without sponsorship, Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland have given first-year owner Doug Yates reason for hope.
Michael Waltrip Racing: Results still aren't great, but given where the team was a year ago, Waltrip has to be encouraged. Next challenge is hanging onto his sponsors and talented young drivers David Reutimann and Michael McDowell.
Petty Enterprises: Outside investors and the re-signing of veteran Bobby Labonte are both positive developments for Kyle Petty, whose days as a driver could be numbered.

Grade D

Dale Earnhardt Inc.: The post-Dale Jr. era has been a disaster thus far. Martin is leaving, Martin Truex Jr. could be and Paul Menard and Regan Smith are weekly also-rans. Aric Almirola, who is sharing a ride with Martin, takes it over full time in '09.
Ganassi Racing: Frustration abounds as Juan Pablo Montoya and Reed Sorenson struggle to be competitive and Dario Franchitti ponders his future after sponsorship woes forced owner Chip Ganassi to disband the Scotsman's team and lay off 71 employees.
Robby Gordon Motorsports: Affiliation with Evernham hasn't provided hoped-for boost for Gordon.
Wood Brothers: Once-proud team continues to flounder with Bill Elliott in a ride-share program with an assortment of drivers.
Haas CNC Racing: Scott Riggs is in lame-duck mode with Stewart preparing to take over the team.
Bill Davis Racing: Future for team and driver Dave Blaney in limbo with sponsor Caterpillar jumping to RCR in '09.
Hall of Fame Racing: Other than rain-aided third-place finish in New Hampshire, J.J. Yeley hasn't had much to crow about.
Furniture Row Racing: Joe Nemechek hasn't been called "Front Row Joe" for a long time.

Grade Inc.

BAM Racing: Ken Schrader has been idled while team takes time off to search for sponsorship.

NASCAR: A (half) season to remember | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

[Racer Duck]

JGR may be slightly higher than expected, and Robby a bit lower than expected........


I think the big surprises are DEI and Red Bull. I don't think anyone expected either of them to be where they are. It's almost like: if the world were right they'd trade places....

[BiscuitMan]

I agree with the Duck, Red Bull probably is a Grade C+ rather than a Grade B. C+ meaning they're on the upward move.

Petty Enterprises probably should be a Grade D.

DEI may be on a downward move within the Grade D.

[NASCAR Gnome]

Ganassi's too busy frolicking with his IRL teams to care about his Cup teams. He deserves what he gets! (And I hope Juan Montoya leaves and goes to fill that vacant seat or fourth team at Gibbs!)

I'm guessing that DEI lost more than half its revenue when Junior left. It's hard to compete when Mark Martin, Almirola, Truex and Smith combined are probably bringing in less revenue than what Junior used to bring alone!

The top-three teams appear to be the three biggest spenders. Just like F1, the biggest spenders usually are up front.

Watch out for Red Bull. If anyone follows F1, they know that Red Bull has not one, but two teams running (Toro Rosso - which means "Red Bull" in Italian) and these guys can throw a whole lot of money at whatever they need to in order to get better! Red Bull has the ability to match spending with the top-three so it would not surprise me to see them growing and getting better very soon!

[Team Yates]

excerpt from orginial post>Grade C

Yates Racing: Running much of the year without sponsorship, Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland have given first-year owner Doug Yates reason for hope.<

Well, I'd think that running most of the season without much sponsorship and both teams being in the top 25 should warrant a Grade B.

[clutch]

Originally Posted by vincesanity82

BAM Racing: Ken Schrader has been idled while team takes time off to search for sponsorship.

...I'm thinkin they'll be back for Bristol.........actually I'm hoping

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Team Yates

excerpt from orginial post>Grade C

Yates Racing: Running much of the year without sponsorship, Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland have given first-year owner Doug Yates reason for hope.<

Well, I'd think that running most of the season without much sponsorship and both teams being in the top 25 should warrant a Grade B.

Unfortunately top 25 teams are only Grade C in the overall scheme of things. I wish (and hope) YR is able to move up to a solid B by year's end. I like both Travis and David and think they are the new "young guns" .. adequate sponsorship will do wonders to their weekly results.

[PenelopePitStop]

Martin's leaving DEI already? He just got there. Memory fails me ... where's he going? HMS?

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

Martin's leaving DEI already? He just got there. Memory fails me ... where's he going? HMS?

Mark Martin will return to full-time Sprint Cup racing in 2009, taking over the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Martin signed a two-year deal with Hendrick - a full schedule in 2009 and a 26-race schedule in 2010, which will include the non-points Budweiser Shootout and All-Star Race.
Martin replaces Casey Mears, who will leave the No. 5 at the end of this season

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Mark Martin will return to full-time Sprint Cup racing in 2009, taking over the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Martin signed a two-year deal with Hendrick - a full schedule in 2009 and a 26-race schedule in 2010, which will include the non-points Budweiser Shootout and All-Star Race.
Martin replaces Casey Mears, who will leave the No. 5 at the end of this season

Ah, yes. Now I remember. So HMS will consist of Jr., Gordon, Johnson, and Martin. That's interesting, and should be fun to watch. So I guess 2009 will be Martin's last chance at the Cup. I hope he takes it. Even over Jr.