2009's biggest movers ... and losers (so far)
Plus or minus.
Statistically speaking, it's one way to look at how much a driver has improved, or not improved, from the previous season.
After 31 of 36 races in 2009, it's a good time to see who moved up or down the most from a year ago.
AP Photo/Mike McCarn
Fifth-place Chaser Kurt Busch has gained 13 spots from his 2008 points finish in the Blue Deuce.
To be fair, we need to compare relatively equal circumstances, so guys like Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and Casey Mears don't really fit on our plus-minus scale.
So who's the big winner? At a plus-13, it's Kurt Busch. He finished 18th in the 2008 standings driving the No. 2 Dodge, but he's fifth now and could end up better before the season ends.
Some people would point to Juan Pablo Montoya at an impressive plus-19 (25th last year and sixth now). Technically, he's driving for the same team.
But Chip Ganassi merged his operation with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (forming Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) and switched from Dodge to Chevy engines. Nevertheless, it's a heck of an improvement for Montoya.
Another big plus-side man might surprise you -- Sam Hornish Jr. He's 27th in the 2009 standings, which doesn't sound so hot, but it's eight spots better than he was at the end of 2008.
Brian Vickers is next with a plus-7, making the Chase for the first time in the No. 83 Toyota and earning the first victory for Red Bull Racing. He's bringing up the rear in the playoff at the 12th spot, but he ended last season 19th in the standings.
David Reutimann, who earned his first Cup victory this season in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, is a plus-6, going from 22nd last year to 16th in 2009.
Now for the bad news. The first guess for many fans on the biggest minus probably would be Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not true, but not good.
Earnhardt is a minus-10 at the moment. He finished last in the 2008 Chase and he's 22nd in the 2009 standings. And that difference is a bit misleading because he couldn't finish any worse than 12th last year as a playoff driver.
Bringing up the rear on the minus scale this season is Kevin Harvick at a whopping minus-17. He was fourth a year ago in the No. 29 Chevy, but he's 21st now. One thing is similar: He didn't win last year and he hasn't won this year.
Harvick plans to move on after 2010, the final year of his contract at Richard Childress Racing, but he's not alone in the minus column at RCR this year.
Jeff Burton is minus-13 (sixth to 19th) and Clint Bowyer is minus-10 (fifth to 15th). But Bowyer is essentially with a new team this season. Mears went to RCR and took Bowyer's old crew. Mears is 18th with the team that finished fifth in 2008.
No. 2 on the minus scale in 2009 is David Ragan at minus-15. He almost made the Chase in 2008 and ended the season 13th. Ragan is 28th this year in the No. 6 Ford.
In Ragan's defense, all the Roush Fenway Racing drivers are down this year, just not as much. Greg Biffle is having a decent season, but he's minus-4 (third to seventh for now).
Carl Edwards is minus-8 after finishing as the 2008 runner-up to Jimmie Johnson. But the big downer for Edwards is going from nine victories last year to zero so far in 2009.
Jamie McMurray is minus-9 (16th to 25th) in his last season at RFR. McMurray may replace Martin Truex Jr. at EGR next year. Truex is minus-8 this season (15th to 23rd) in the No. 1 Chevy.
Sometimes things look worse than they are. Matt Kenseth failed to make the Chase for the first time in his career, but he's only two spots worse than he was last season (11th to 13th). He also has two victories compared with none in 2008.
Drivers still have five events to move up (or down) the scale, but this gives a good indication of who needs to step it up in 2010 and who should feel good about his upward trend in 2009.
Terry Blount
