The grades are in for the 12 drivers in the Cup Chase

Owner Rick Hendrick had to be proud about the 2007 performances of his top two pupils, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Fred Vuich/SI

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In the midst of a Chase that evolved into a battle between two teammates, it's easy to forget it wasn't just Hendrick Motorsports fighting for this year's title. In fact, a record 12 different drivers had a shot at the trophy when the playoffs began just 10 short races ago. Taking a look back at the season that was, let's go through and examine the Chase experience for each one, taking stock of where they stand and figuring out the faux pas that kept all but one from holding up the trophy at season's end:

Jimmie Johnson

The focus and concentration to stay at the top once you've already made it there is one of the most underrated challenges in all of sports. When you add in the pressure surrounding the Chase, and all the variables that come into play, the chances of a title repeat face nearly impossible odds. Considering that neither Kurt Busch nor Tony Stewart made a serious bid to defend their championships since the current system debuted in '04, and having finished far behind teammate Jeff Gordon in the regular season points, you wondered if Johnson was even up for the challenge.

Well, the only challenge he has left to ponder now is whether anyone will ever top his record-setting streak. With four straight wins and a 7th to close out the season, he just didn't win this year's title; he flat out ran away with it, from a teammate and friend who was clearly no slouch himself. When it comes to driver and crew chief pairings, Johnson and Chad Knaus are simply the best; and the way in which they closed the door on their season is easily their best accomplishment to date.

Grade: A+

Jeff Gordon

When you sit back and look at the stats, it's hard to believe Gordon lost this title. You'd think two wins, six top-fives and no finish worse than 11th would have done the job rather easily. In fact, Gordon scored more points than any of the previous three Chase champions, a sign that his 5.1 average finish was good enough to beat anyone except those backed by the heat of Johnson's unstoppable streak. If you had to nitpick, it's the bonus points that caught Gordon off guard; he led just five races in the playoffs to Johnson's nine, and had half as many wins as Johnson's four. In the end, though, nothing could stop the gravy train of the No. 48.

Grade: A

Clint Bowyer

What a way to time the best 10-race streak of your racing career. By starting the Chase with a win at New Hampshire, Bowyer proved to the masses his 12th-place seed was no indication of how strong this team could be in the playoffs. A streak of seven consecutive top-12 finishes soon followed, and as late as Texas in November this team was still in contention to capitalize if either Johnson or Gordon had faltered. A few late-season snags slipped him back to a distant third in the final standings, but don't be fooled; this was one Cinderella whose fragile glass slipper never showed signs of breaking apart.

Grade: A

Matt Kenseth

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: the most overlooked stat during this Chase is that no one led more laps than Kenseth. The problem with the No. 17 team was that bad luck found them at every turn. The more this car ran up front, the bigger the magnet it was for the outside wall. DNFs at Dover and Lowe's, combined with wrecks at Kansas at Talladega, dug this team a very deep hole; Kenseth had fallen to 12th in points as late as mid-October. But to this team's credit, it not only recovered but ended the season strong as ever: five top-5 finishes in the final five races -- including the season-ending Homestead win -- leave new crew chief Chip Bolin with plenty to build on for '08.

Grade: A for racing, D for luck

Kyle Busch

Considering the circumstances, no one would have blamed Busch if he folded up his tent and packed it in back in early September. After all, his Chase was spent as a "lame duck" driver, sitting pat while his team worked feverishly toward the arrival of new Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. in '08. While the red carpet unrolled for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Busch's Chase appeared to be doomed from a multitude of different distractions. But to his credit, the 22-year-old showed maturity in putting forth a first-class effort. Four top-5 finishes and 300-plus laps led underlined this kid's competitive spirit, a passion that will work well with Joe Gibbs Racing -- his new employer. Ironically, Busch would have capped a 1-2-3 finish in the points for Hendrick if not for the meddling of none other than Junior himself -- his wreck of the No. 5 car at Kansas combined with contact on pit road at Homestead left the points on the table young Busch needed to finish directly behind his two high-profile teammates.

Grade: B+

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