Debating the most improved Sprint Cup driver of the 2008 season

David Ragan's widely regarded as Sprint Cup's most improved driver, but he may have some competition. AP Tim Tuttle's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Tim. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

David Ragan has been widely regarded as the Sprint Cup's most improved driver during the 2008 season, a status justified by his leap from 23rd in the points to Chase contender and 13th in the championship.

Ragan could even be regarded as the revelation of this past season, a 22-year-old who went from on-the-ropes to up-and-coming star at Roush Fenway Racing.

Ragan certainly holds the most prominent position in points among the drivers who were upwardly mobile, but he didn't move up the farthest. That distinction belongs to Brian Vickers, who went from 38th in 2007 to 19th. David Reutimann also made a big move toward the top, gaining 17 positions to finish 22nd.

Michael Waltrip also out-gained Ragan, going from 44th to 29th, as did Greg Biffle (14th to third).

NASCAR won't honor a Most Improved Driver at its awards gala Friday night in New York City because it doesn't have the award. Part of the reason, I assume, is the subjective nature of making the selection. The criteria of a driver improving the most positions in the points is a good baseline, but what the driver has done before in his career, the strength of his team and how much did the driver contribute to the progress of the team should also be considered.

Based upon that criteria, Waltrip -- a five-time runner in the top-15 in the points and winner of four Cup races -- and Biffle -- with 14 wins and a second in the points in 2005 -- should be eliminated. They're better candidates for Comeback Driver of the Year, which NASCAR also doesn't award.

Ragan, Vickers and Reutimann can all make strong cases for the Most Improved Driver award.

Ragan stepped into a superior situation than Vickers and Reutimann, joining a well-established multi-car operation that has put cars into the Chase in each of its five seasons. He's had the benefit of skilled, experienced and wise crew chief Jimmy Fennig, who was on top of the pit box for Kurt Busch's 2004 Cup championship.

In only his second full season, most of Ragan's performance gains came from within himself. His ability to communicate to Fennig what his Ford was doing and to recommend changes was clearly a major factor in his success. Also, his race craft and speed were remarkably better.

"We made a lot of progress as a driver and a team," Ragan said. "A lot of that credit goes to Jimmy Fennig and Jack Roush for putting together a good group of guys. We've had solid pit stops all year. Our race cars have been fast and nothing has fallen off them, so it's just been a good, solid year."

Vickers arrived to the Cup level a prodigy, the Nationwide Series champion at age 20, and had spent three seasons with Hendrick Motorsports before moving to start-up Red Bull Racing in 2007. At Hendrick, he knocked teammate Jimmie Johnson out of the way at Talladega for his only Cup win, and was 15th in 2006 and 17th in 2005 in the points.

The initial season at Red Bull had problems beyond Vickers' control, a new team with a new manufacturer in Toyota. Without top-35 owner points to start the season, Vickers spent the year as one of the go-or-go-homers and drove in only 23 events.

Red Bull made changes, most significantly hiring Jay Frye to run the organization, and Toyota made a big jump in overall engine performance, but it was Vickers' leadership and maturing talent that moved him into the top-20. He had three top-fives, including second at Pocono I, and six top-10s, outstanding performances for the second-year team.

"I am happy that we accomplished what we set out to do and that was to get this 84 car into the top-35 in owner points," Vickers said. "That will be a huge weight off the team's shoulders going into Daytona next year."

Reutimann may be the most underrated driver in Cup. He was certainly one of the most unheralded when Waltrip hired him for the 2007 season, when he was a 37-year-old rookie with one career win in a NASCAR national series, in the Camping World Truck division.

Like Vickers, Reutimann was driving for first-year manufacturer Toyota and a team that had expanded from a part-time Cup operation to running three full-time cars. Reutimann emerged as MWR's top driver in 2007, qualifying on time for more races (26) than teammates Dale Jarrett (24) and Waltrip (14).

Reutimann built on that experience to drive in all 36 Cup races this year. It was no easy feat. He drove the No. 00 entry in the opening five races and it was 27th in owner points. He then departed to the No. 44, vacated by Jarrett's retirement. That bounced Reutimann back to 34th in owner points. He was involved in a two-car crash at the next race, at Martinsville, finished 39th, and suddenly found himself 37th in owner points.

Reutimann has proven to be a very good driver in qualifying, where he has earned a reputation as a risk taker for driving at the absolute limit. He made the next two races and by the end of the eighth of the season, at Phoenix, was back in the top 35 to stay. The No. 44 finished 26th in owner points.

Reutimann had four top-10s, the first of his Cup career, this season. He also had his first pole, at Homestead-Miami. The vastly more experienced Waltrip had two.

The Waltrip team also made substantial changes this season, notably hiring ex-team owner Cal Wells as its operational director, but Reutimann's well honed racing ability is the biggest reason for his move to 22nd in the points. Also like Vickers, he's become the cornerstone of the organization, its best chance to crack the top 15 and make a run for the Chase.

Reutimann, a consummate team player, credits the organization, of course.

"There are so many differences now than what we had before," he said after winning the pole at Homestead-Miami. "It's pretty phenomenal. The fist part of the year was just trying to build the organization, get stronger and get better. As our cars got better and our pit stops better, we started working our way up."

Who is the most improved driver of 2008? My pick is Ragan, based upon his overall performance. But Vickers and Reutimann would have been good choices, too.

They lifted their organizations higher than anyone expected.