NASCAR season is like playing the stock (car) market

It's up, then it's down, then it's a little bit sideways. The stock market bounces all over the place with the steadiness of a toddler learning to walk.

Kind of like the NASCAR season for some teams. For every Jeff Gordon, whose stock is rising faster than Jim Cramer can shout "Boo-ya," there are others struggling as badly as AIG.

As the season entered its Easter break, more than one-fourth of the regular season has been run - seven of 26 races. For teams that have struggled, there's little time to lose if they hope to get bullish and make the Chase in September.

With that in mind, here are some recommendations for your driver portfolio:

BUY

Jeff Gordon

• Points rank 1st
• Points rank at this time last year 14th
• 52-week high 1st, now
• 52-week low 14th, after Talladega in April 2008
• Why buy He just scored his first win of the season and hasn't finished worse than 13th this year. And there's this: The points leader after seven races has gone on to win the title three of the past six years.

Tony Stewart

• Points rank 5th
• Points rank at this time last year 5th
• 52-week high 4th, after California in February
• 52-week low 12th, after Phoenix in November
• Why buy He's formed a strong core with his team and so far avoided the problems plaguing teammate Ryan Newman. Remember, Stewart typically gets stronger in summer when the tracks are slicker.

Mark Martin

• Points rank 18th
• Points rank at this time last year 30th
• 52-week high 15th, after Daytona 500
• 52-week low 34th, after Atlanta in March
• Why buy Three consecutive top-10 finishes for starters. Had it not been for two engine failures, he'd be in the top 12 easily. He's rallied from mid-pack to make the Chase before. That experience will help.

Carl edwards

• Points rank 8th
• Points rank at this time last year 9th
• 52-week high 1st, after Dover in September
• 52-week low 18th, after Daytona 500
• Why buy On the face of things, this has been a disappointing year for a team expected to end Jimmie Johnson's championship reign. Pit road woes have cost him top-five finishes at least twice, including a possible win at Texas. Expect those issues to be resolved and for Edwards to win again.

Clint Bowyer

• Points rank 4th
• Points rank at this time last year 11th
• 52-week high 2nd, after Martinsville in March
• 52-week low 13th, after Michigan in August.
• Why buy He moved to a new team at Richard Childress Racing and has been strong this season, a 22nd at Texas notwithstanding. Few predicted he'd make the Chase a third consecutive year, but he's headed that way.

SELL, SELL, SELL

Dale  Earnhardt Jr.

• Points rank 16th
• Points rank at this time last year 4th
• 52-week high 2nd, after Pocono in August
• 52-week low 35th, after California in February
• Why sell Just as the stock market hates uncertainty, too many questions surround this team to make an investor comfortable. They could turn it around, but at this point, even with Hendrick equipment, few see him as a legitimate title contender should he make the Chase. A contrarian point: Maybe this is Earnhardt's chance to prove doubters wrong this time.

Martin Truex, Jr.

• Points rank 24th
• Points rank at this time last year 16th
• 52-week high 10th, after Daytona 500
• 52-week low 28th, after Martinsville in March
• Why sell Truex hasn't shown much since winning the Daytona 500 pole. He's in the last year of his contract, and there's much speculation about his future.

Kasey Kahne

• Points rank 10th
• Points rank at this time last year 12th
• 52-week high 6th, after Bristol in March
• 52-week low 29th, after Daytona 500
• Why sell This team is still using older Dodge engines - reliable, but not particularly fast. He's led one lap all season. That's not going to win a title and might not be enough to make the Chase.

 Jamie McMurray

• Points rank 27th
• Points rank at this time last year 25th
• 52-week high 16th, after Homestead in November.
• 52-week low 37th, after Daytona 500
• Why sell His team is expected to be dumped by Roush when it has to cut back to four Cup teams after this season. So far, he's not showing much reason for other teams to go after him. He's fallen nine spots in points in the last three races.

David Ragan

• Points rank 29th
• Points rank at this time last year 17th
• 52-week high 6th, after Daytona 500
• 52-week low 29th, now
• Why sell Definition of a team in a freefall. Ragan hasn't finished in the top 15 since the Daytona 500. He began the year with a lot of promise after his improvement last season, but he's too far out to make the Chase.

HOLD

Kyle Busch

• Points rank 7th
• Points rank at this time last year 3rd
• 52-week high 1st, after Richmond entering Chase
• 52-week low 38th, after Daytona 500.
• Why careful It's easy to list Busch as a buy after having scored two Cup wins this season. He'll likely win more. The question is what will he do in the Chase? He and his team have imploded during it in years past.

Kurt Busch

• Points rank 3rd
• Points rank at this time last year 15th
• 52-week-high 2nd, after Bristol in March
• 52-week low 24th, after Richmond in May
• Why careful It's tempting to list him as buy, too, given how much this team has improved. The new engine has helped. A celebrated radio exchange with car owner Roger Penske at Martinsville shows Busch has the fire, but others would say it shows too much of his temper.