About performance rating, need help!

I have worked for a company for more than 7 years. My Performance rating are all either top 1 or 2. However, my boss was changed in the middle of last year. And this new boss does not previously know me very well and I guess I am not an active type of person in the team also. Anyway, I just got the performance rating for last year and it's 3 (meet requirement but need inprovements, btw: 4 is not qualify). And the boss did not put any reason or summary for the results. I don't feel fair with the result. I work the same way as before. Please give me advices if you are in my situation:
1) Send him an email and say "I have never got this rating before, could you let me know what I need to improve?" do you think he will get mad?
2) If I keep silent, he will always put me in this catagory. I think it's not good when there are layoffs.
3) Go to his boss or even HR, present some other materials and say the rating is not fair. Has anyone here done this before? What impact I will have for my future if I still have to work in his team?

Any advices will help! Thanks.