Penske drivers among most improved from '08

Though Stewart-Haas Racing is the surprise team of 2009, Penske Racing has quietly become one of the most improved teams this season.

Kurt Busch, in particular, has had a major comeback season after failing to make the 2008 Chase and finishing the season 18th in points.

But the Penske improvement doesn't end there. Teammate Sam Hornish Jr., in his second full season, has started adapting to Cup Series racing and has shown a strong statistical jump over last season.

Below are the top 10 "most improved" drivers since 2008 in terms of Driver Rating.

Three teams have two drivers on the above list: Penske Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing. Not surprisingly, all three teams also have representatives currently in the top 12 -- and Chase contention.

Busch ranks in the top five in practically every key Loop Data category this season. He has a Driver Rating of 101.0 (fourth-best), an Average Running Position of 10.0 (third), 309 Fastest Laps Run (fourth) and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 78.6 percent (third).

Busch's statistics the first 19 races this year are a vast improvement on 2008. In fact, they mirror those of 2005 and 2007, two seasons in which Busch made the Chase.

Hornish enjoys a similar statistical jump. Here are his stats through 19 races this season, compared to last.