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13 different organizations are featured in this rating with all three manufacturers being represented. All 16 of these drivers had at least one great showing during the regular season but it wasn't enough to push them into the top-sixteen and as noted above only one of these drivers secured a victory during the regular season. Here are the other sixteen, rated.
17th - Joey Logano - Team Penske
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Joey Logano finished 17th in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points tallying one victory during the regular season. That victory came at Richmond in April but later in the week, his victory was encumbered after NASCAR found the Truck trailing arm spacer/pinion angle shim mating surfaces must be planar and must be in complete contact with corresponding mating surfaces at all points and at all times.
Logano became the first driver in the win and your in era to miss the playoff. Other than that victory at Richmond, the No. 22 didn't make much of a splash in the water as they have done in recent years. His best finish of the season was at Richmond in September, but still, that second place finish wasn't enough to put the team in the playoffs. The first time that Logano has missed the playoffs since he joined the Penske organization in 2013.
Season Rating - B-
18th - Clint Bowyer - Stewart Haas Racing
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The No. 14 team had a full-time driver for the first time since 2012 after Clint Bowyer made the move from HScott Motorsports this season. The freshman season for Bowyer at Stewart Hass had its highs but it also had its lows. Bowyer came close to winning his first race since 2012 at Bristol in April but came up short finishing second to Jimmie Johnson.
Two straight second-place finishes at Sonoma and Daytona propelled the team with some momentum rolling toward the end of the regular season but two DNF's at Indianapolis and Darlington put the No. 14 team in a must-win situation at Richmond in September. An ambulance ended that run for the victory at Richmond when cars behind Bowyer couldn't stop and his car sustained some major rear end damage, not ending his race but ultimately ending his playoff hopes.
Though no victory came out of the season, it was good to see Bowyer being competitive again after a few seasons of dismal mid-pack running especially last season. Expect Bowyer to battle with his new teammate Aric Almirola next season for their first victory with the organization.
Season Rating - B+
19th - Erik Jones - Furniture Row Racing
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Erik Jones ran his rookie campaign with Furniture Row Racing and it seemed like there was nothing this kid couldn't do behind a racecar. No victory but he managed to step up to Kyle Busch at Bristol in August and even beat him in qualifying to earn his first career victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The first year driver driving for a first year car impressed and even managed to pull Rookie of the year. Jones pulled an impressive five top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes during the season with the same organization that secured the championship in the series. Jones will move to Joe Gibbs Racing next season where he will replace Matt Kenseth. His crew chief Chris Gayle will follow him while the No. 77 for Furniture Row Racing will be shut down after just one season.
Many noted during the season that Jones will be one of the next superstars in the sport and it could be seen next season where he'll join Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Don't be surprised to see the No. 20 in victory lane more next season.
Season Rating - B+
20th - Daniel Suarez - Joe Gibbs Racing
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Daniel Suarez ended up being the replacement when Carl Edwards announced that he was retiring before the season began in 2017. The announcement came as a shock to many and gave Suarez kind of a bad eye from fans. Though many believed that Suarez wasn't supposed to be driving the No. 19, Suarez proved to those people that he belonged in the series.
Suarez won the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship in 2016 meaning he had experience at winning races and championships. His rookie season was impressive with one top-five and 12 top-10's. Not as impressive as Erik Jones but you have to think that the guys first laps behind a cup car came at Daytona in The Advanced Auto Parts Clash. That alone is impressive on Suarez' part and also to think that he had some big shoes to fill.
In his second season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, things could get better for Suarez, especially being as he has a full season under his belt. Suarez was very impressive at Watkins Glen so don't look past him for a victory there next season.
Season Rating - B
21st - Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Hendrick Motorsports
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In his 19th year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he would retire at the end of the season back in April after Bristol. The announcement came after three DNF's and the best finish of fifth at Texas. The return tour ended up being the Apreci88tion tour as NASCAR's most popular driver visited and raced tracks for what could be the final time.
The season wasn't great for Earnhardt by any means but he secured his first poles since 2013 and his first pole ever at the Talladega Superspeedway in October. As the season ticked on, emotion began to sit in for both his fans and himself. Earnhardt was able to run the paint scheme he ran in his rookie season back in 2000 and would finish 25th in what will probably be his final race in the cup series.
Next season for Earnhardt will be different as Amy, his wife, announced earlier this year that they are expecting a baby girl in 2018. Along adding an Earnhardt to the family, he'll take to the NBC booth in 2018 and will still be involved as an owner in the XFINITY Series. Earnhardt will even run at least one XFINITY series race next season which means we won't see him disappear from the sport anytime soon.
Season Rating - C+
22nd - Trevor Bayne - Roush Fenway Racing
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Despite not finding victory lane like his teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the Knoxville, TN native finished 22nd in points for the second straight season. The 22nd place finish matches his best career points finish. The season also resulted in the same amount of top-fives as last season but Bayne was able to tally one more top-10 than he did in 2016.
His best finish of the season came at Talladega in October where he finished third, being one of the sole drivers to survive all of the chaos. That finish was also his best since he finished 3rd in the 2016 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.
As an organization Roush Fenway Racing is getting stronger, note the two victories with Stenhouse Jr. at Talladega in May and Daytona in July are the first victories for RFR since 2013. Can Bayne and Stenhouse return Roush back to its dominating stable that it once was?
Season Rating - C-
23rd - Paul Menard - Richard Childress Racing
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| NASCAR Media |
In his final season with Richard Childress Racing, Menard had another one of those seasons that just couldn't seem to end. Much like Bayne, Menard locked two top-five finishes, his first since 2015. Menard started off the season with a fifth-place finish in the Daytona 500. Again at Daytona in July Menard found the top-five finishing third, his best finish since Talladega in May of 2015.
A ninth-place finish at Talladega in May was about the only other positive that came out of 2017. Only three DNF's showed that the performance and speed were not there for the No. 27 team. Menard was another driver who watched as teammates competed in the playoffs while he sat on the outside looking in.
Menard is going back to Ford in 2018 moving to the Wood Brothers, replacing Ryan Blaney. The organization earned victory No. 99 at Pocono in June with Blaney which means Menard could deliver victory No. 100 the famous Wood Brothers. As noted, Menard moves to a team that has won recently which has to give him something to look forward to. Will the Menard/Wood Bros. combination be the winning combination?
Season Results - C-
24th - Ty Dillon - Germain Racing
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The last of the Rookie of the Year contenders, Ty Dillon had a strong first season with Germain Racing. With the departure of Paul Menard from Richard Childress Racing, it surprises many that Dillon re-signed with Germain for multiple seasons.
In his rookie season, Dillon almost found victory lane a few times in the cup series. He was running inside the top-five at Dover before crashing on the final lap and again was running inside the top-five at Daytona, even leading at one point. He finished 11th twice, both times coming at the end of the season at Talladega in October and Phoenix in November.
The slight spark of life at the end of the season could start a fire for the 2018 season and with a multi-season deal, Dillon can remain focused on building Germain Racing into a strong affiliate of Richard Childress Racing. Dillon showed strength on the superspeedways and with some more work, those could turn into common things instead of being just lucky breaks.
Season Rating - C-
25th - Chris Buescher - JTG-Daugherty Racing
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The move to JTG-Daugherty Racing shocked many being as Chris Buescher has been affiliated with Roush Fenway Racing since 2009 in the ARCA Racing Series. Buescher drove for RFR affiliated Front Row Motorsports in 2016, he secured one victory at Pocono in the rain-shortened race.
The No. 16 charter also followed Buescher to JTG-Daugherty Racing, which was the glue to the, what seemed like. broken puzzle. Buescher had some strong runs behind the wheel of the No. 37, the first season for the car. Overseen by veteran crew chief Trent Owens, Buscher had the best finish of sixth twice (Michigan in August and Talladega in October).
When Buescher announced he had signed a multi-year deal with JTG-Daugherty it seemed like the days of him being affiliated with Roush are just a distant memory, which may be for the best. Without a year-to-year contract type deal, it gives the organization confidence that they will continue with Buscher and that is the cornerstone of any car.
Season Rating - C
26th - Michael McDowell - Leavine Family Racing
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For the first time in his 10 seasons in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Michael McDowell competed full-time behind the wheel of the No. 95 Chevrolet SS. McDowell rolled off the trailer really fast at Daytona in the beginning of the season and McDowell noticed another first in his career. He was locked into the Daytona 500.
McDowell brought home 15th place finish at Daytona but the best was yet to come, just five months later when the series returned to the World Center of Racing. McDowell was in contention for the victory at the end but made a wrong move and fell back to fourth, still his best career finish in the series. McDowell completed the most laps of any other driver in the series while earning a career-best 15 top-20 finishes and his first career top-five.
McDowell will not return to Leavine Family Racing in 2018 after the announcement that Kasey Kahne would replace him in the No. 95. He'll move to Front Row Motorsports for the 2018 season joining David Ragan, the move also features the return to Ford for McDowell.
Season Rating - C+
27th - A.J. Allmendinger - JTG-Daugherty Racing
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Something was off with Allmendinger this season and we really can't put our finger on it. Allmendinger didn't perform as well as he has the last few seasons but still managed to continue his streak of top-ten finishes at ten seasons in a row.
He had his worst average start since 2008 and his worst average finish since 2015. Overall something just felt off with Allmendinger who wasn't really in the conversation all season. Allmendinger wheel hopped at Sonoma while running 18th and suffered some damage that caused him to finish 35th. He qualified seventh at Watkins Glen but finished ninth, which would be his best finish of the second half of the season.
Like Buescher, Allmendinger will return to the organization in 2018. The building of the organization should come in 2018 especially now that the team will be affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports. On top of returning to JTG in 2018, Allmendinger will return to sports cars to run the 2018 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
Season Rating - C-
28th - Danica Patrick - Stewart Haas Racing
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It seemed like only one good thing happened to Danica Patrick this season. That good thing was her first top-10 finish at Dover in May, her first since Bristol in 2015.
Other than that one good run, the season was filled with just wide-open disappointment which ultimately led to her announcement of walking away from full-time racing after the Ford EcoBoost 400 last month. Eleven DNF's during the season resulted in poor results in the standings, her worst finish in points since 2014.
Patrick announced at Homestead last month that she would run the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2018 but as time ticks, her list of opportunities for the 500 in February is getting slimmer and slimmer. The question sits on if the Danica Patrick Experiment was a success or not, and if you look at her impact on the sport in her time, it was a success. It gives females the confidence that they can race with the guys on Sunday and if you look at the K&N Pro Series, you could see the next female driver in the shape of Nicole Behar, Julia Landauer, and a list of others that could fill her shoes.
Season Rating - D+
29th - Aric Almirola - Richard Petty Motorsports
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The season really started out very well for Aric Almirola. Three top-10 finishes highlighted the first 10 races of the season. Almirola even returned to victory lane in the XFINITY Series for the second straight season at Talladega.
Kanas was where everything changed. Almirola was involved in a huge crash in turns one and two when Joey Logano had a parts failure which caused him to turn Danica Patrick into the outside wall. Almirola came in at full speed hitting Logano and he went airborne. Almirola suffered a compression fracture in his back which would sit him on the sidelines until New Hampshire in July.
The end of the season had its strong parts and with only two DNF's, he moved from 32nd in points to 29th. In his return to Kansas, Almirola earned a ninth place finish, an impressive feat for returning to a track that you had suffered an injury earlier in the year. During the season, Almirola also secured three top-five results, tying the most he had obtained in one season (He earned three in 2015).
Almirola moves to Stewart Haas Racing in 2018 where he will pilot the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. He'd driven for Richard Petty Motorsports since his first full-time season in 2012. Almirola also finished the 2010 season for RPM after Kasey Kahne left the organization for Red Bull Racing. Almirola only earned one victory for the team in 2014 at Daytona in the Coke Zero 400.
Season Rating - C+ (Despite the Injury)
Almirola moves to Stewart Haas Racing in 2018 where he will pilot the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. He'd driven for Richard Petty Motorsports since his first full-time season in 2012. Almirola also finished the 2010 season for RPM after Kasey Kahne left the organization for Red Bull Racing. Almirola only earned one victory for the team in 2014 at Daytona in the Coke Zero 400.
Season Rating - C+ (Despite the Injury)
30th - David Ragan - Front Row Motorsports
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| NASCAR Media |
David Ragan returned to Front Row Motorsports in 2017 after leaving the organization to fill in for Kyle Busch at the beginning of 2015. Ragan came close to earning his first victory since his triumphant victory at Talladega in 2013 at Daytona in July. Ragan was leading the race late but some wrong moves shuffled the No. 38 back and resulted in a 6th place finish.
Ragan had strong showings at the superspeedways finishing the best fo 6th at Daytona in July. He finished inside the top-10 both Talladega races. The rest of the season though was slightly disappointing. Four DNF's and 18 results 25th or worse.
Season Rating - D
31st - Landon Cassill - Front Row Motorsports
In what would be his second and final season with Front Row Motorsports, Landon Cassill wasn't talked about much in 2017 with the exception of social media interaction with fans and occasional "words of wisdom". Since his top-10 finish at Talladega in 2015, Cassill has failed to finish inside the top-10 and it's rather surprising.
Cassill has six DNF's during the season and the best finish of 16th at Daytona in February. One thing that improved over 2016 was his average start. Cassill had an average start of 29th, his best since 2012. Things just haven't clicked for Cassill at Front Row Motorsports, which ultimately led to his departure from the organization.
As for 2018, it's unknown on where he will go. Many believe the ole' Circle Sport Racing should make a return and that Cassill should pilot the entry being as Joe Falk split with Curtis Key and The Motorsports Group. Cassill is one of the few free agents that doesn't have a home yet. The music in this musical chairs is about to stop, and Cassill could be left sitting on the outside.
Season Rating - D-
32nd - Matt DiBenedetto - Go Fas Racing
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| NASCAR Media |
It was a transition year for Matt DiBenedetto and Go Fas Racing. DiBenedetto departed from BK Racing following the 2016 season while Go Fas was looking for their first full-time driver and season in the history of the team.
DiBenedetto was the right guy for the team and it showed as the organization started off strong ninth place finish at Daytona in February. As noted above, 2017 was a transition year for Go Fas Racing, who finally had one driver to run the full schedule. The organization did the best they could with what they had and it resulted in a relationship that clicked. DiBenedetto finished 8th at Indianapolis in July and just a few weeks later it was announced that he'd return to the organization in 2018.
Going into their second season with a full-time driver, things could start building and things could start going right for the organization. After all, Furniture Row Racing wasn't built into a championship team overnight.
Season Rating - D+
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