A good start to a year can do everything for a driver, but so can a bad start. A good start can get a driver pepped up, while a bad start can get a driver wanting to do better. So here is my first quarter report cards.

Honor Roll
David Reutimann A+
The Franchise has done very well in his performance, and it shows by his points position.
Jeff Gordon A-
He has performed a little less than expected, but overall has done a good job.
Matt Kenseth B
Kenseth has had trouble but is recovering.
Marcos Ambrose B-
This Australian has had a mix of finishes placing him in the top 20.

Needs Improvement
David Gilliland C
He needs to perform a little better, but not much.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. D+
Junior and the pit have to fix their problems.
Joey Logano F
He needs to get more experience.
Scott Speed F
They need to get him out of the car like they did with AJ Allmendinger last year.

Group Work ( I averaged out the drivers in each group's grades to get the group grades. )
Busch Brothers A
They have got some power underneath their hoods.
Michael Waltrip Racing B
This group has done their homework and has almost all the kinks worked out. They would have a C if not for Michael Waltrip's role as the "designated two-time Daytona 500-winning driver" on My Name Is Earl. That earned MWR some extra credit.
Rookies D-
Logano and Speed are not performing, while part-timers Max Papis and Brad Keselowski have performed very well.
Roush Fenway Racing F
This five car team better get some good finishes.

No engines were blown in the making of this post, but several fingers were cramped.