Who makes the grade? We rate 12 teams

Friday, Jul. 10, 2009

We've reached the halfway point of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season and it's time to hand out grades on how the teams have performed through the first 18 races.

Eight races remain before the 12-driver field is set for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 12 race organizations that field 35 full-time teams are graded.

In our criteria nobody got an A+. Also, every team has some merit, so nobody got an F, either.

A STEWART HAAS RACING

SHR has produced the series points leader – Tony Stewart (left) – and teammate Ryan Newman is seventh in the standings. Both are on track to compete for the championship. While Newman struggled early, his No.39 team has rebounded and Stewart just collected his second win of the season last weekend at Daytona.

A- HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

Three of the four Hendrick teams – Jeff Gordon's, Jimmie Johnson's and Mark Martin's – have won races and Gordon and Johnson are ranked second and third, respectively, in the standings. Martin got off to a tough start, with two blown engines, but is tied with Kyle Busch with the most wins this season (three). Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No.88 team is the lone disappointment in the group. He is 21 {+s}{+t} in points with three top-10 finishes in 18 races.

B+ JOE GIBBS RACING

Two of JGR's teams – Kyle Busch's and Denny Hamlin's – are in solid shape to qualify for the Chase and Busch shares the series lead in wins (three) with Martin. Hamlin has yet to win but has five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The only JGR driver likely not to make the Chase – rookie Joey Logano – scored an upset win at New Hampshire.

B- PENSKE RACING

On one hand, Penske appears to be back on track with Kurt Busch's team. He scored a win at Atlanta and has been among the most consistent drivers on the track (10 top-10 finishes). His teammate, David Stremme, is a different story. He has been fast but unable to score a top-10 finish and five times has failed to finish a race. Sam Hornish Jr. has improved, with four top-10s.

C+ROUSH FENWAY RACING

There is a real mixed bag here. Roush has three teams – Carl Edwards', Greg Biffle's and Matt Kenseth's – in the Top 12. Only one – Kenseth – has won this season (Daytona 500 and California). Of late, Biffle's team has appeared the most consistent. David Ragan and Jamie McMurray have struggled and are 30 {+t}{+h} and 19 {+t}{+h} in points, respectively.

C+MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING

So far, MWR gets the most improved award over last season. David Reutimann won the Coca-Cola 600 and is 74 points out of the Top 12. Marcos Ambrose, who drives the No.47 for the JTG/Daugherty team, which is run out of MWR, is 18 {+t}{+h} and has more top-10s (five) than Earnhardt Jr. Michael Waltrip has had the most difficult season, with one top-10.

C+ RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

At least one of RPM's teams, the No.9 of Kasey Kahne, has shown a spark of life of late and won at the road course at Sonoma, Calif. He is 12 {+t}{+h} in points. Elliott Sadler (23 {+r}{+d}), Reed Sorenson (28 {+t}{+h}) and A.J. Allmendinger (29 {+t}{+h}) have not been a factor for wins. Sadler, however, had a pair of top-10s at Daytona.

C RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

None of RCR's four teams – those of Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears – has found Victory Lane but each has shown flashes of potential. Burton and Bowyer still remain in the hunt to make the Chase. One thing none of the teams has done much of is lead laps – generally a precursor to wins.

CEARNHARDT GANASSI RACING

This is a story of teams going in opposite directions. Juan Pablo Montoya has made great strides and is fighting to remain in the Top 12 (he is 11 {+t}{+h}). Martin Truex Jr. has three top-10s and is 24 {+t}{+h}{+.}

C- RED BULL RACING

Brian Vickers has shown potential. He has seven top-10s but has also failed to finish four races. Rookie Scott Speed has one top-10 and failed to qualify for some races. (In two he ended up driving for another owner.)

D YATES/HALL OF FAME RACING

Bobby Labonte (the Hall of Fame team) had a good start, but has fallen off dramatically. Paul Menard (Yates) is 31 {+s}{+t} and has yet to finish in the top 10.

D-ROBBY GORDON MOTORSPORTS

Gordon has one top-10 and has failed to finish four races. He still manages to save his best for the road courses.

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