Track Smack: Michigan

Name some good headlines NASCAR.com could have used to describe Tony Stewart's win at The Glen.

Tim Packman: Stewart Fine in Watkins Glen Victory. Might be a nice one after he got docked by his sponsor and NASCAR. Maybe another one could be Stewart all smiles, this week, at Watkins Glen. Either way, it was great that he let the car do the talking.

Ryan Smithson: Gory to Glory: Stewart wins at The Glen a week after punching Photog. Punches to Podium: Stewart puts aside issues to win at The Glen. Mook to Money: Stewart thanks photographer in Victory Lane.

Marty Smith: Road Coarse: Stewart ends grating week with win at The Glen. It only took me 10 minutes to think that one. I'm no copy editor, that's for sure. Those guys gotta be too tricky.

Dave Rodman: Jump Street: Stewart mauls field at The Glen.

Tim Packman: Well, after that attempted headline, I don't think anyone is going to argue with you on that one.

Ryan Smithson: Last week, the photographer is a normal guy. The next week, he's mentioned in Victory Lane on national TV.

Tim Packman: Will we see him sitting in Stewart's pits next week, or sometime this year?

Rodman's Word of the Week Preponderance (noun) Excess in number or quanity. Example: There is a preponderance of attractive women in the garage area.

Ryan Smithson: That photographer will have book deals, movie deals, interviews, women. Well, maybe not women.

Tim Packman: I highly doubt that, Ryan. I do believe his 15 minutes are up.

Ryan Smithson: I highly doubt he'll get women either.

Tim Packman: Only if we -- the media -- extend their time.

Who is the man to beat at Michigan?

Marty Smith: Marlin's motor lasts this week. He's the man.

Tim Packman: Michigan is for the fast and well-motored teams. So, with that in mind, I have to go with Sterling Marlin. Dang, Marty! That's twice in one month we've agreed on something.

	The jinx hit its 30th week Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: Jeff Gordon takes third Michigan victory.

Dave Rodman: With Dodge winning its first here last year, I think an Intrepid is not only the safest call -- but maybe the only one. Bill Elliott it is, for old time's sake.

Marty Smith: Definitely a first. Smithson goes with Gordon, again.

Ryan Smithson: I am expecting a phone call from Jeff this week asking me to remove the jinx.

Tim Packman: Yeah, like you are personally responsible for his jinx, Ryan. Sports Illustrated you are not. You think the pool hall siren can take Bill winning again, Dave?

Dave Rodman: I think it was pretty well rested after seven years.

Marty Smith: The Pink Panther needs an oil change before I head to New Jersey.

Ryan Smithson: You mean your Lumina?

	The Pink Panther Credit: Marty Smith. Yes, he actually took a photo of his own truck for Track Smack.

Marty Smith: Nope, my Ford Ranger. The Pink Panther, son. 1995 and pink as cotton candy.

Tim Packman: Pink truck, dyed hair. Hmmmm.

Marty Smith: Yep, and I could still whoop your ass.

Tim Packman: Now, now...don't get testy. Nobody was talking about ass whooping here.

What is up with Rudd? Are they ever going to announce anything?

Dave Rodman: This gets dirtier and dirtier by the day. At least now we know that M&M's will announce its 2003 program on Friday at Michigan. That will solve the issue of whether Yates is keeping the 28 or not -- which I assume he will since that number is his legacy as an owner.

Marty Smith: A source from Ford told me today that the issue right now is length of contract. They say Rudd wants to be at Ganassi longer than Ganassi wants to offer.

Tim Packman: He is the one factor that is holding the whole deal back. Havoline and the No. 28 are good to go to Ganassi. It seems Rudd is asking for more money on the base-contract side of things.

EMAIL Dave Tim Marty Ryan

Ryan Smithson: This is getting a tad out of hand. We are only two weeks removed from September. A lot of good teams (with sponsors) are needing some answers fast.

Marty Smith: Tim's right. The entire Silly Season puzzle hinges on Rudd's decision.

Dave Rodman: You know, when Ricky made his latest comments, at The Glen, about having one definite strong possibility, then a couple more that weren't far behind; then a few more after that, that could come into play -- shoot, I didn't realize there were that many good cars that Ricky would consider for his short-term career that could be available!

Tim Packman: The domino effect from this is going to be something like we haven't seen in a long time.

Marty Smith: Once Ricky's domino falls, guys will be switching cars all over the place. I talked to Eddie Wood at Nashville. He literally has no idea who might end up in his car. Everyone's waiting on Ricky.

	Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: Eddie and Len might end with a surprise in their ride, at least from what Eddie was talking about in New Hampshire, there are guys that are not widely known to be out on the market, who actually are.

Ryan Smithson: Well, I suggest you boys start getting used to covering six press conferences in one weekend.

Dave Rodman: On the one hand, I don't really know about that. If Sadler is going to Yates, and Rudd is taking Havoline to a totally new team at Ganassi's -- big Ifs, I know -- what else is gonna be left?

Tim Packman: Who can and will end up where is weighing on a lot of sponsorship deals. A sponsor doesn't want to commit if the driver can't get the job done.

Marty Smith: Well, it's drivers, too, Tim. Guys want to get the best car they can get, so they're waiting to see what's open before they commit.

Ryan Smithson: I don't know, I've known sponsors who don't seem to care if the driver can drive or not.

Dave Rodman: As long as he can sell, sell, sell.

Tim Packman: Right, but the sponsors are doing the same thing. I say put them in all in the same room and have them pick like when we played Dodge Ball in school.

Marty Smith: If they can sell products, that's the bottom line. If they can make people smile in the autograph line and make good commercials.

	Hi, Sterling? This is Ricky calling. Yeah, I was wondering if we could go over Daytona setups.......Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: Exactly. Driving is an afterthought a lot of places. It's a business -- a real business.

Tim Packman: Well, do you think Elliott Sadler can sell every color that M&M's has to offer? Plain and peanut?

Dave Rodman: Of course -- and the boy can drive, too -- so Robert's got him a bonus.

Ryan Smithson: I liked the Skittles car better.

Marty Smith: Wonder why they're different colors when they all taste exactly the same? See, there you go, Ryan. Skittles are different colors 'cause they taste different.

Tim Packman: Who cares, they don't melt in your hand, they melt in your mouth.

Ryan Smithson: I wouldn't know. I am color-blind.

Tim Packman: That too, huh?

Ryan Smithson: Green's on bottom, red's on top.

Dave Rodman: I bet that is a comforting thought to all those simple tools stuck in those famous Atlanta traffic jams with you, Ryan?

Marty Smith: No wonder you can't dress, Ryan.

Tim Packman: Is that why you have Garanimals on all of your clothes, Ryan?

Ryan Smithson: I have never heard of Garanimals.

Tim Packman: We can tell.

Dave Rodman: And, obviously, your life is poorer for it.

Marty Smith: That's why the color of his shirts are written on the label. His momma took good care of him. People probably wonder about our attire every weekend. Those purple shirts we have are atrocious.

Ryan Smithson: Packman looks like a huge plum in his. Me and Rodman both had on the red shirts one time. Some guy flipped us his car keys.

Dave Rodman: That's why Ryan wears nothing but black tees now.

Is Christian Fittipaldi the next Tony Stewart or the next Scott Pruett?

Dave Rodman: I think he qualifies as the greatest fisherman since Saint Peter, at this point. Best I know, they don't even have a deal -- just a wing and a prayer.

Tim Packman: Man, I don't know on that one. The names that are now racing for Petty Enterprises are impressive with Andretti and now Fittipaldi. But, a name doesn't always mean talent.

Dave Rodman: I think Fittipaldi has an extreme amount of talent. I just hope they are able to put a program together to support it -- since he has basically put his open wheel career out to pasture by making this move. Then again, there are very few nevers in motorsports and he could always retro back to Indy cars.

	Petty Enterprises successfully completed a Buckshot Jones-for-Chrisitian Fittipalidi trade. No word on whether Buckshot will actually compete in CART. Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: I think somewhere in between, like the next Dave Blaney. He'll do all right, but nothing that will set the world on fire.

Marty Smith: I hate to say it, but judging by the struggles at Petty Enterprises, I'll have to say he'll be more like Pruett. I hope not, because there'd be nothing better for NASCAR than for PE to be good again.

Tim Packman: People would love to see PE get back in the hunt of things.

Dave Rodman: They need to strive to get some consistency, not keep plugging in the program of the week.

Ryan Smithson: I had to laugh though. Fittipaldi's a guy who raced Formula One in Monaco. Now, he'll be racing ARCA in Pocono. Instead of chicks, he gets chickens.

Marty Smith: Hot chicks are quite prevalent in the open wheel garage area. Then again, hot chicks are all over our garages, too.

	Jimmy Spencer, err Scott Pruett, finished sixth at Watkins Glen last weekend. Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: It's the same thing, Marty.

Marty Smith: Not so much. Vastly different attire.

Ryan Smithson: Example.

Marty Smith: Open wheel garage: booty shorts, tank top, sandals. Winston Cup garage: Jeans, Dale Jr. T-shirt. Reeboks.

Tim Packman: Yes, I have to agree with Marty there. For example, the European fashions and looks are more prevalent at CART races. NASCAR restricts the fashion at it's races.

Ryan Smithson: I forgot about the no-shorts-garage rule.

Marty Smith: That rule is functional, quite functional, but it sucks.

Tim Packman: Of course, I'm there strictly for the racing aspect.

Marty Smith: Yeah, racing to the beer cooler.

Tim Packman: You're on!

Ryan Smithson: I saw a girl once in the garage who didn't have a Dale Jr. shirt.

Tim Packman: Not all of them are there for him. The latest fad is the driver's name on a T-shirt in sequins.

Marty Smith: Women like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Several, in fact, write me asking if I might let him know that they'd like to go out with him.

Tim Packman: And, of course he responds to every one of them.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the participants.