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Making the Grade: Grading the Top-35 Sprint Cup Drivers

By Michael Eliadis

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Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

It was an amazing year in NASCAR.  Racing got better, its stars were winning races again, and the fastest car all year won the championship. In this piece I will attempt to grade the top 35 finishers in the NASCAR standings of the premier division.  Take a look below to see how your driver fared.

Harvick and the No. 4 team were consistently fast all year on all track configurations despite pit road mishaps.  Sprint Cup champion and he led the most laps in 2014, enough said. It was a terrific season for Harvick and it could happen again in 2015.. No. 4. Team SHR. KEVIN HARVICK. A+

B. Newman turned it on at the right time, he was Mr. Consistent.  He played the new Sprint Cup format to a tee.  No wins though and only 5 top-five’s but he was  still one position away from winning his first championship.. No. 31. Team RCR. RYAN NEWMAN

No. 11. Joe Gibbs Racing. DENNY HAMLIN. B. Hamlin played the format well too.  One win and seven top-five’s were a lot fewer than people expected from him and the FedEx team. Hamlin will need to improve in 2015 if he wants to be in a position to contend for a title once again.

No. 22. Team Penske. JOEY LOGANO. A. Logano was another consistently fast driver in 2014. He is clearly on the upswing since his move from Joe Gibbs Racing. Logano went from one win in 2013 to five wins in 2014.

A. Keselowski was the series leader in wins with six. He was fast everywhere in 2014 and had a few wins slip through his hands. Kes is seen as a pain in the behind to most and non-apologetic but it doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the most talented drivers out there. The man has stones to say the least.. No. 2. Team Penske. BRAD KESELOWSKI

Gordon had the most wins in a season since 2007. Based on old points system, he would have been crowned champion. Only thing preventing an A+ is he can’t win the championship in the current format which is pretty important.  Fast everywhere in 2014 and 2015 should be the same.. No. 24. Team Hendrick. JEFF GORDON. A

B. Kenseth made the Chase again which is a good thing. Winning seven races in 2013 and then no races in 2014 is not a good thing. Don’t forget Kenseth did have a WWE like sneak attack on Keselowski which is something that his fans will fondly remember for the rest of their lives.. No. 20. Joe Gibbs Racing. MATT KENSETH

Team Hendrick. DALE EARNHARDT JR.. A-. Best season in years for Dale Jr. and the No. 88 team. A championship would have been fitting with Steve Letarte leaving but it just wasn’t in the cards. Earnhardt Jr. seemed to fizzle a bit in the later stages of the season although he did have a Chase win. No. 88

No. 99. Team Roush. CARL EDWARDS. B-. It was a disappointing year for ‘Cousin Carl.’ Although Edwards made the chase it seemed like he could have done more had he been given betters cars.  Moving to Joe Gibbs might resurrect his career and championship hopes.  Edwards Still managed two wins on a lame duck team.

KYLE BUSCH. B-. It was another disappointing year for ‘Shrub.’  Busch hit his stride in the chase but was not able to advance to the finale after a strong five races to open the chase. Busch did dominate on the lower-tier series once again but that is neither here nor there. Busch has the potential to win a Sprint Cup title but has yet to deliver.. No. 18. Joe Gibbs Racing

Position 11 through 35 in the final standings and their grades are listed below:

  • Jimmie Johnson (B-): 6-time had four wins, but for a long stretch he also posted finishes of 30th or worse.  Something didn’t click with the 48 team this year. Chad Knaus is back in 2015 and the team should contend once again.
  •  Kurt Busch (C+): Busch did mange a win, but was hugely inconsistent all year.  A non-factor in the Chase and throw in domestic assault allegations, a season to forget for 2004 champ. Hopefully the legal process will play out in the favor of Busch and he will not miss time in 2015, assuming he denials are truthful.
  • AJ Allmendinger (B-): He did make the Chase for the JTG Daugherty team.  Managed one other top 5 and four other top 10’s.  Good to see him back on the circuit though and he will be a threat to win again in 2015.
  • Greg Biffle (C+): Biffle made the Chase but it really didn’t matter because his cars were junk for the majority of the season.  He lacked fast cars all year on a downward-spiraling Roush Fenway Racing team.  Didn’t seem like Biff had fun this year.
  • Kasey Kahne (C+): Kahne won a race and made the chase and that’s pretty much his 2014 season.  Not much else other than inconsistency from a hugely funded super team in Hendrick Motorsports.
  • Aric Almirola (B-): Made Chase by the benefit of a rain shortened Daytona July race.  Not sure he deserved to be there though.  Put the King’s team back in the media forefront which was nice to see.
  • Kyle Larson (A-): Replaced Juan Pablo in the No. 42 machine and produced a wonderful year with 17 top 10’s.  Rookie of the Year in 2014 and won it running away.  Just missed out on the Chase which was a shame.  The future of the sport is Larson and Chase Elliott.
  • Jamie McMurray (C+): Finished strong.  Too little too late.  I am still waiting for him to break out on the track.  Has the best hair on the tour though and that should be noted.
  • Clint Bowyer (C-): five top 5’s for this team. and 19th in the standings is not what anyone thought was going to happen this season.  Not acceptable is the best way of describing it.  Something amiss at Michael Waltrip Racing and it needs to be addressed in 2015.
  • Austin Dillon (B-): Was supposed to bring the 3 car back to prominence, but got overshadowed by Larson.  A little disappointing.
  • Paul Menard  (C-): Expected more from this team.  A downward dog compared to last season for the 27 team.
  • Brian Vickers (B-): Inconsistent but nice to see him healthy and racing again.  Had fast cars and competed, but couldn’t close out.
  • Marcos Ambrose (C): In his last year on this side of the pond the Tasmanian Devil had a sub-par year.  Expected more from a very well liked and respected driver.  Did put it to Casey Mears though.
  • Martin Truex Jr. (C-): Fall guy for all that went on at Richmond in 2013.  He did nothing wrong but sponsors fled and lost his ride for what Bowyer did.  Took over a fast 78 car but did nothing with it until the latter stages of the season. Maybe 2015 will be a rebound for him.
  • Tony Stewart (C): Tony’s issues are well documented and I won’t go into them here.  Expected more from him just like everyone else before that ill-fated day.
  • Casey Mears (C-): Ended up where he usually does on this under funded 13 Geico team.  Used his 15 minutes up kissing Ambroses fist.  But he does get cheaper car insurance.
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (D+): Expect so much more from the 17 car.  Two floundering years.  Did finish first amongst the super couple.
  • Danica Patrick (D+): So much hype, so few results.  I know her average start and finish are up from last year, but I can’t get excited for that.
  • Justin Allgaier (C): Young kid, driving an underfunded team limping home in 29th spot.  Expected.
  • David Gilliland (D): Competed on restrictor plate tracks as usual, but not much else for the Front Row Motorsports entry.
  • Cole Whitt  (C-): Young kid on a BK racing team with full funding. Expecting more in 2015.
  • David Ragan (D): See David Gilliland
  • Michael Annett (C-): Started all the races. Wrecked a lot with 6 DNF’s. Expected.
  • Reed Sorenson (D-): As a kid with so much potential a few years ago, racing on an underfunded team. Still expected better than 34th.
  • Alex Bowman (C-): Another Burger King entry. Made the top 35 and likely gets all the Whoppers he wants for free!

Michael Eliadis is a contributor at Beyondtheflag.com and on the FanSided Network.  Please be sure to follow us on Twitter at: @beyond_the_flag and be sure to “Like” us on Facebook

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