IndyCar Mid-Season Report Card

There are nine races down with eight to go. We are past the halfway point of the 2008 IndyCar series so it is time to find out who is inching towards graduation and who is flunking out.

Valedictorian
Chip Ganassi Racing is the head of the class in 2008. The dream team of Scott Dixon and Dan Weldon has 5 wins including Dixon’s Indy 500 triumph. If that is not impressive enough, try this one on for size; Dixon and Wheldon have combined to lead 784 of 1886 total laps this season, which equates to 42%. Dixon alone has led 34%, which itself is mind-boggling. Ganassi Racing already has straight A’s, but they will not be satisfied until they are crowned valedictorian at the year-end banquet. A+

Penske Racing
Penske Racing lacks wins, but Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe are still in the championship hunt. Briscoe captured his first career win at Milwaukee while Castroneves has become Mr. Consistent with eight top-5 finishes. Penske is not the head of the class, but they still qualify for the dean’s list. A

Rahal-Letterman Racing
Second-year driver Ryan Hunter-Reay is transforming into a star right before our eyes. HR has produced four top-10 finishes and was positioned for a runner-up finish at Texas before an overly-aggressive Marco Andretti took him out. B+

KV Racing Technology
Of the transition teams, KV has shown the most readiness and consistency since their IndyCar inception. Heading into the season, Will Power was top dog while Oriol Servia settled for sloppy seconds. Instead, Servia has seven top-12 finishes compared to just three top-10s for Power. Write this down: Servia will win this season. B

Vision Racing
To say that Tony George’s drivers Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV have underachieved would be an understatement. The duo’s eight top-10 finishes have both drivers sitting comfortably in the top-15 in points, but each has had a multitude of missed opportunities. The potential hiring of Paul Tracy for a handful of races this season should boost the team’s moral. B-

Andretti Green Racing
Which is worse? Leading lots of laps with no victories or being called a poor driver by a teammate and fellow co-workers? Marco Andretti falls into both categories. Need I say more? Danica Patrick, aka THE MENACE, has spiraled downward since her Japan victory. Uninspiring runs at Kansas and Indy combined with complaints from her colleagues has spelled doomsday for IndyCar’s media darling. Hideki Mutoh’s five top-5s have him the leading contender for rookie of the year and should be a threat for years to come. TK finally landed in victory lane in Richmond, but it will take more similar performances to hoist the series trophy for a second time. C+

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
D&R has reaped the benefits of attrition and inexperience in 2008. Lead driver Buddy Rice has produced three top-10 finishes and journeyman Townsend Bell has four top-11 finishes to his credit. They are not a top-tier team by any means, but considering the competition and their lack of sponsorship, D&R’s stock has skyrocketed. C

Newman-Hass-Lanigan Racing
NHL is the second transition team to earn a passing grade, albeit not as high as they are accustomed to. A victory and six top-10 finishes by rookies Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson have an optimistic buzz in the garage. C

HVM Racing
E.J. Viso is a star in the making. Despite criticism during the month of May, Viso has brought home four top-10 finishes and completed seven of nine races. Viso is polished for success and is not far away from his first win. C

Panther Racing
Vitor Meira is inching towards the dubious distinction of the best IndyCar driver never to win a race. Since dazzling the world with arguably the greatest pass in Indy 500 history, Meira has had little to celebrate. Three finishes of 15th or worse in three of four races have dropped Meira to 15th in points with no signs of improvement on the horizon. C-

Conquest Racing
In terms of ovals, rookie drivers Enrique Bernaldi and Jaime Camara are anything but seasoned. Both have struggled on ovals, but the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Road courses dominate the remainder of the IndyCar season which should suit the two Brazilians nicely. D+

Marty Roth Racing
Marty Roth should be selling tires instead of driving at high speeds on banked ovals. Roth has two top-20 finishes and has finished 26th or worse five times. Roth hired John Andretti to temporarily replace rookie Jay Howard, and despite producing Roth Racing’s best ever finish of 11th at Iowa, Howard will return to the No. 24 machine this Sunday at Watkins Glen. D-

Dale Coyne Racing
Rookie Mario Moraes surprisingly leads veteran teammate Bruno Junqueira in points. Neither driver has produced a top-10 result, which is why they fail to make the grade. F

Top to bottom, IndyCar competition this season has been fierce. Just imagine how gung ho the series will be in a couple years as the transition teams familiarize themselves with the new tracks and machines. NASCAR, you are going down.