Track Smack: Texas

March 28, 2001
12:17 PM EST (1717 GMT)

NASCAR.com's expert panel (and we use that term loosely) of staff writers Tim Packman, Dave Rodman and Marty Smith - as well as senior producer Ryan Smithson -- butt heads every Wednesday on relevant issues in NASCAR. This could get ugly.

Elliott Sadler shocked with a win -- who will be the next improbable winner in Winston Cup?

Marty Smith: I got my cash on Kenny Schrader, just cause he's cool as heck. MB2 is in full effect these days.

In accident-laden races, he always seems to be in the top-10. Drivers always say you gotta be in the top-10 to have a chance to earn top-5s, and you have to be in the top-5 to even have a chance to win. Kenny's getting there, and could just stumble into a win this year.

Tim Packman: Looking at his strengths so far this year, finishes and where he ranks in points right now, I'm going with Sterling Marlin. He's showing the old kid can still play if he has new toys. Those are the toys made by Dodge.

Dave Rodman: How about a Dodge at Martinsville? Andretti and Marlin proved at Bristol that they have the stuff . Stacy Compton could certainly be considered a "situation player." At the right track, he could score.

Martinsville is his track - remember his debut? Atwood is a time bomb - could score or DNQ at any moment but he had a good short track background that would fit with Martinsville.

Ryan Smithson: Packman, you're crazy saying Marlin would be an 'improbable winner." Have you not watched a single race this year? Marlin thinks it's 1995!

When I think of improbable winners -- I think of Dave Blaney. Marlin will be first Dodge winner, and Blaney will be next first-time winner in Winston Cup.

They are off to Texas this week. Who is your pick to win the Harrah's 500?

Dave Rodman: Gordon. If a track can owe him one, Texas does. He got his bell rung there. Now, Gordon's on a rampage -- could be a 15-win season. The last lap at Bristol tells he won't take #@$% off anyone -- so watch out -- he and Loomis are tightened up and ready to rumble.

Tim Packman: Dave, put down your Jeff Gordon pom-poms. It's not gonna happen. Even though Dale Jarrett has finished top-5 twice there, Bobby Labonte three of four times and Rusty Wallace has finished fourth twice, I think Steve Park's in Victory Lane this weekend.

Marty Smith thinks Jerry Nadeau is the man to beat this weekend.

Marty Smith: Dave, you're wrong about the Gordon - yet again. Packman, you pick Steve Park every single freakin' week -- I love DEI, too, but come on son, and Ryan, you're never right.

Chalk it up, Nadeau goes to Victory Lane. He's the best 1.5-mile track driver out there.

Dave Rodman: Hahahaa! Nadeau's a pinball!

Ryan Smithson: Marty, you bash Pack for picking Park, but then you turn around and pick Nadeau?

Marty Smith: I got your back Jerry, these fools don't know what's up with the Danbury Delight.

So, are you guys tired of writing and listening to repeated stories of Roush Racing's 'demise?' They'll bounce back, right?

Dave Rodman: They're simply counting race wins. They will win, but I would say not more than six races total between the four of 'em.

Tim Packman: If they do it, it will be bigger than my Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl. They had their bad years, and then successful ones. But, they've never won the whole thing.

Jeff Burton has finished out of the top-15 in every Winston Cup race this season.

Ryan Smithson: Mark Martin's struggles should really come as no surprise. He really had a bad year last year -- he only won Martinsville when Rusty blew up. Burton's a total mystery -- who knows?

Marty Smith: Myself, I figure they've buried themselves so deep they've got no way out. They'd have to win 20 races over there. They're the Boston Red Sox of NASCAR. They're bad-ass every year, but they can't win it all.

Was Sadler's win a fluke?

Marty Smith: Negative, striker. E's patiently waited a long time, and the Woods have too. They've finally gotten back to building solid race cars with the help of Roush, so they're far from a fluke. Best season in years overall. It was their time. Plus, E's bad fast.

Tim Packman: No way. He said during the media tour in January this was different team than last year. Now, he's gone out and proved it. It's the Wood Brothers, dude.

Ryan Smithson: The Wood Brothers certainly earned that win the hard way - they did not back into it - but it will probably be awhile before they contend to win again. It's just too tough for single-car teams, even with the new tire.

Dave Rodman: It shows how loaded Winston Cup racing is - the Wood Brothers organization put the pieces in place and they simply needed everything to fall into place for them to add up to a victory.