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Making the Grade - Midterm Report Card

7/22/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)

Each week I get out the red marking pencil and hand out my grades for the week. There is only one driver picked for each letter grade from "A" through F." Since the Cup drivers were enjoying a week off, this week I hand out midterm grades. (Just like colleges our midterm doesn't come exactly halfway through the year either!) This week I will hand out grades for each organization. Our grades are not against the curve so I don't care if a team has more money and people to work with… a grade is a grade on this test! In addition I will give my outlook on where each team is headed. Enjoy and feel free to send in your grades so we can use them on the "Quick Change" radio show on Wednesday night.

A+ Joe Gibbs Racing

Is there anyone with an IQ above 20 that would argue that JGR is the best team so far in 2008? Kyle Busch is the driver winning races but all three drivers qualify for the Chase right now. The switch to Toyota was managed to perfection and the addition of Kyle Busch helped them earn this perfect grade.

Prospectus-Losing Tony Stewart will hurt the team but they don't rebuild they reload with the hottest prospect to come to the Cup level in many years!

A Roush-Fenway Racing

Three of their drivers are qualified for the Chase right now and showing signs of moving up the standings not down! David Ragan has shown great improvement over a shaky rookie season. Even their worst team has shown signs of strong runs from time to time with the driver the limiting factor. They might have been even better if the "Crabby Car" had not been reined in by NASCAR.

Prospectus-Second half of the season could be amazing! Question marks over a sponsor for David Ragan next season is the only negative looming over this team for next year too.

A- Hendrick Motorsports

The name of the game in qualifying for the Chase is consistency. Their top three teams are 2nd, 5th, and 6th and would have to really stub their collective toes to fall out of the Chase. This team has the knack of getting things rolling in the Chase and they will have three drivers capable of winning the Championship.

Prospectus-Team made a smart move bringing an experienced temp-driver to get the No. 5 team ready to go for one of their impressive young drivers.

B+ Richard Childress Racing

There is no doubt RCR was the most improved team last year. Two of their three drivers are in the Chase right now with the third very close to crashing the party again. Consistency has been strong again.

Prospectus-This team could get hot in the second half! Everything is in place and they are one of the few teams without some kind of sponsor issue going into next year.

C+ Evernham-Gillette Racing

This was the toughest grade to hand out for the midterms. When this team has been good they have been very good. When they have been bad they have been very bad. I would not be surprised if this team was able to bump up to a "B" in the second half but I would also not be shocked to see them fall to a "D."

Prospectus-New Dodge engine would give this team a chance to be just one step below the big four in NASCAR's Cup division.

C+ Red Bull Racing

The improvement from last year to this year has been amazing! But this team still lacks the consistency to compete week in and week out against the best in the sport. The experiment of benching AJ Allmendinger has worked wonders and Brian Vickers is so close from returning to Victory Lane again!

Prospectus-Allmendinger is starting to understand this stockcar thing and Brian Vickers showed why Hendrick Motorsports recruited him years ago. Now warming up in the bullpen is Scott Speed! Watch out for Red Bull Racing in 2009 and beyond.

C Yates Racing

Both teams are solidly in the top 35, which isn't bad when you can't find a full time sponsor! If this team can put a good sponsor package together they could improve in the second half. If not this is a middle of the road team all the way.

Prospectus-No one has done more with less all season than Yates Racing. Yes they are getting help from Roush but they have still had to pull their own weight at the track. I have high hopes for this team IF they can ink the right sponsors for 2009.

C- Petty Racing

OK so I admit this is a generous grade but I am acting as if this is a one car team at Petty. Bobby Labonte has overachieved but that doesn't earn him more than a "C" since we don't grade on a curve around here! When your other driver is more notable for his fund raising efforts than racing, it is not good for the team's overall grade.

Prospectus-It has been a long time since Petty Racing was one of the best teams in NASCAR. Adding a financial backer will help them make big strides but they have a long way to go to be competitive every week. But I would not be shocked if this team managed a win in the second half of the season.

D+ Penske South Racing

It seems really crazy to give a team a "D" when they won the biggest race of the year but it has been a long time with lots of tests and quizzes since the Daytona 500! While Yates Racing gets mentioned for being overachievers this team is one of the definite under achievers! It sure seems like a long time since that Blue Deuce was a threat every week!

Prospectus-They are losing their best driver and also a sponsor. Will they continue the open wheel experiment that has failed so badly? Stay tuned as a once great organization decides whether they want to be great again!

D Haas CNC Racing

They would get an "F" for their performance on the track but they pulled the biggest move of the season by grabbing Tony Stewart as a partner! There will be a lot of people packing their bags at the end of the season.

Prospectus-Call me crazy but I think this team could turn things around in one season and put at least one driver in the Chase in 2009!

D Michael Waltrip Racing

This team said goodbye to a legend by making him race for Lucky Dogs instead of wins! Talented young drivers can't make up for woefully slow cars. It takes more than just money to win races it takes a plan and year two of MWR has been a failure.

Prospectus-Mikey's charm has not been enough to hold on to the big sponsors. If they lose UPS and NAPA they are doomed. Rumors of young drivers wanting to leave are never a positive sign!

D Dale Earnhardt Inc

Last year Martin Truex Jr made the Chase and this season this team is also turning into a joke! Maybe its time to see this team sold to someone that wants to do more than sell Dale Earnhardt memorabilia.

Prospectus-Darrell Waltrip said this team without Dale Junior would be a museum. It seems that old DW might have had a clear crystal ball for that prediction.

D- Furniture Row Racing

The cars sure look cool! They made an impression at the plate tracks. Otherwise this team is struggling big time once again.

Prospectus-Impossible to race the Cup even with deep pockets…its takes big money sponsors to bring the right people and get the right equipment to race at this level. They would be better off dropping down to the Craftsman Truck series.

D- Chip Ganassi Racing

This team has been a train wreck all season! One of their heralded open wheelers didn't even make it to the crossed flags of the season before the team was closed down. Some experts predicted Juan Pablo Montoya to make the Chase but he is closer to falling out of the top 35! The Montoya is in contention for being the worst singer ever at Wrigley Field! Three crew chiefs later and he hasn't been any faster on the track either.

Prospectus-Why is this team even in NASCAR with their lack of focus?

D- Hall of Fame Racing

The only news this team made in the first half is getting penalized by NASCAR for the water bottle infraction at Chicagoland. When the highlight of your season is the news that you were not cheating then you know you haven't had much of a season.

Prospectus-If they lose their sponsorship they can close the doors.

F for Bill Davis Racing

News that this struggling team has lost their sponsor for 2009 is not good! Dave Blaney has shown signs of being a decent driver but the team is coming to a gun fight with a blunt butter knife every week. The Jacques Villeneuve experiment was a disaster!

Prospectus-Team knows how to win…just look at their Craftsman Truck teams for proof! This team needs cash and lots of it to even have a shot at making it through 2009 in Cup.

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