Track Smack: Bristol

Were you guys surprised at the lack of changes in the Winston Cup schedule? When will we see major changes?

Ryan Smithson: I am surprised Texas has not gotten a second date yet, only because I know the drivers and teams love the purse. The track has gotten a lot better and obviously having 225,000 people on Sunday does not hurt. TV ratings are exceptional there, but then again, the smaller markets have hung on pretty well. I think Darlington is safe for several more years.

Tim Packman: No, I wasn't surprised at anything. Texas won't get a second date until one or two tracks lose a date. We're at 36 point races right now. We won't see major changes unless NASCAR gets tired of selling tickets and sponsorships to races.

Dave Rodman: I want to know why Talladega's races both walked around a little bit. ANY change in the schedule is relevant to me, and should be relevant to any fans.

Marty Smith: The Winston Cup schedule often perplexes me, but this time around it really doesn't. Where I come from, if it ain't broke we don't fix it. Sure, Ryan, Texas probably deserves another date -- they sell out, it's a phenomenal venue and the drivers love it. And, sure there are a few tracks that don't deserve two dates that have them, but overall the schedule is pretty solid -- way too long, but solid.

Dave Rodman: Someone is gonna have to die before there is a major change in the schedule. You can interpret that any way you want to.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, define "die" in the schedule. Lose a date?

Dave Rodman: No, a major player in the equation will have to become deceased -- as in, when the late, and truly great Enoch Staley shuffled off this mortal coil.

Tim Packman: The length of the schedule will be the "death" of a race date at one or two tracks, I think.

Ryan Smithson: A lot of these tracks don't deserve two dates -- you go there, and there are no hotels around. It sucks, especially when the race is on national TV.

Marty Smith: What are you doing, Pack, sucking up to the fans bro? You know as well as I do that that schedule is too long! Those poor hauler drivers are about to die out there.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, there's no going back from 36 races.

Marty Smith: I didn't say that, Smithson. I said it's too long, didn't say it would change.

Tim Packman: You can take away a race or two and still have a great season.

	Hundreds of thousands of Texans can't be wrong. Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: Somebody at Michigan raised the truly good point that there are enough adequate facilities in the country that several more could be added -- and their events would more than likely be top-shelf.

Ryan Smithson: It's like salary -- once you get accustomed to a certain salary, you don't take a pay cut. You never go down -- only up, and I think they will hit 40 in a few years -- 40 official races.

Tim Packman: With the way the economy has been, I bet a lot of folks out there have taken pay cuts to keep their jobs, Ryan. Don't say you never go down in your salary when the other option is unemployed altogether.

Marty Smith: Represent, Pack.

Dave Rodman: Speaking of die -- that might be grounds for an assassination -- naw, I can't say that in Track Smack -- I think schedule contraction is the way to go.

Marty Smith: But I agree with Ryan -- Lord help me -- Dave. If the schedule ever goes down from 36, I'd be utterly flabbergasted.

Tim Packman: Ryan, if this series goes to 40 points races, you WILL see the split into another league.

Ryan Smithson: No way.

Tim Packman: There isn't enough fan support and sponsorship dollars to do a 40-race season.

EMAIL Dave Tim Marty Ryan

Ryan Smithson: It's like Alvin York said -- "Few more ain't gonna make no difference."

Dave Rodman: Establish five facilities, maybe six, as your marquee venues. Incorporate some kind of fan poll or participation into the determination. Then drop the second race from every other facility.

Tim Packman: Now, there's a great poll idea, Dave.

Marty Smith: Let's lay it on the table, Dave. What are those venues? Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Texas, Richmond?

Ryan Smithson: I think they do need to designate 5-6 races as "major" races.

Dave Rodman: Then, look at the adequate racetracks you have that don't currently have races and add single events back in.

Dave Rodman: We'd have to do it right now as a straw poll -- I have no idea what that would come out to, but I am pretty sure it would not be 40.

Marty Smith: Is it sacrilegious to take a race from Darlington? Probably so.

Tim Packman: You don't mess with the Lady in Black, Marty.

Marty Smith: She's hot. Oops, someone already wrote us and called us sexiest last week for our 'garage attire' comments.

Ryan Smithson: Sexiest, eh. Hardly.

Marty Smith: NOT sexiest. SEXIST. My bad.

Ryan Smithson: Ego shot. All to hell.

	The Pink Panther needs a hug. Credit: Marty Smith

Marty Smith: Speaking of ego boosters...lots of people dig my truck. Which, by the way, my sister backed into Sunday night.

Tim Packman: Yeah, especially your sister. She liked it so much she ran into over the weekend.

Ryan Smithson: She can't see pink?

Marty Smith: The Pink Panther is damaged.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, you need to photograph the dent for Smack readers.

Marty Smith: She hammered it. Left rear. Bumper's all pushed in.

Ryan Smithson: You gonna try to get the truck back out and score some valuable points, Marty?

Ryan Smithson: *Matt Yocum voice* What happened out there, MartDawg?

Marty Smith: Yeah, the boys are working hard on it. Hopefully, we'll get back out there and get some points. I just wanna stay out of the way and ride around.

Ryan Smithson: *Matt Yocum voice* It appeared Todd Bodine got into you coming out of 4.

Marty Smith: "The No. 04 Pink Panther Ford was great today. It's just a shame that them boys can't keep from wreckin' us every week."

Championship thoughts?

Tim Packman: Sterling Marlin has dodged several bullets, and not silver ones the last few weeks to keep the point lead. But, it is dwindling week-by-week.

Ryan Smithson: This is totally off the wall, but I made the comment that Harvick won't crack the top 15. I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Rodman's Word of the Week Anemic (adj.) Lacking vitality; listless and weak. Example: We are in the middle of an anemic economic recovery.

Marty Smith: The championship deal is really intriguing right now, fellas. I don't have a clue who it's gonna be. What amazes me is Gordon. All everyone talks about is his victory drought, and he's smack in the hunt for title No. 5.

Tim Packman: Tony Stewart is a second-half-season driver who has put up some great finishes and gained some serious points. With the leader this close, he might pull it off yet.

Dave Rodman: I can't deviate from the same Sterling Marlin tack I was on earlier in the season. Someone is gonna have to step up mighty big and take it, not only from him, but also from everyone else.

Marty Smith: Wonder if Gordon could win it all without winning a race? I doubt it.

Ryan Smithson: I think Gordon is out of it. He's not even leading laps.

Dave Rodman: The championship chase is still looking every bit as good as Wally Dallenbach alluded to in his Insider's View several weeks ago.

Tim Packman: Gordon won't win the championship this year. It would be great to see Marlin or Martin take the championship.

Ryan Smithson: Neither of those will happen.

Marty Smith: So who is it, oh great wealth of sunbathing knowledge? (Smithson's on vacation, y'all)

Dave Rodman: But now that we have got to the point we are at -- wouldn't it be an absolutely great sentimental deal to see Mark Martin win the championship?

Tim Packman: Ryan, you don't think Marlin or Martin will win the championship?

Dave Rodman: If Mark won the title, I bet he would retire, on the spot.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, I am going to be very boring and say Stewart. Great story: Tony the Terrible becomes the champ. Becomes Zen Master.

Marty Smith: Smokes stogie with Phil Jackson.

	Mark Martin has visions of a championship dancing in his head. Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, you are nuts! Martin wouldn't retire! But then again, I know because I was visiting with him the other day. Not.

Marty Smith: Leads Lakers to 2003 NBA championship.

Ryan Smithson: Stewart is probably not a good basketball player.

Tim Packman: He doesn't need to be.

Marty Smith: I'll challenge him to a one-on-one match-up.

Ryan Smithson: Televised. You better wear one of those face-protector thingys with Tony.

Marty Smith: I wonder if he's even shot a free throw since gym.

Tim Packman: No, but he's pulled of some great slingshot moves on the dirt tracks in USAC.

Marty Smith: If it's got wheels, Packy...

Dave Rodman: Man -- what a scary two-sided coin Tony winning the championship could be. Either he would understand what enabled him to do it and become the best thing since Big E -- or he would fall into the clutches of the wrong crowd, backslide and end his career as one of the most despised drivers in history.

Ryan Smithson: Why is he despised?

Dave Rodman: You need to get out to the racetracks more, buddy.

Ryan Smithson: This I know.

Dave Rodman: And I did not say he was despised now. But he's kinda at that fork in the woods, y'know? In his moments -- actually quite a lot of the time -- he is an exceptional individual.

Marty Smith: Look, what he did at Indy was way wrong, but he's not an awful person. He's pretty cool away from it all.

	Stewart is a two-sided coin. Credit: Autostock

Tim Packman: Don't look for him to lose his aggressiveness on the track. Out of the car and right after the race is where he is looking for help.

Ryan Smithson: I hope he realizes how much better he'll drive.

Marty Smith: What you mean? With anger management?

Ryan Smithson: When I was 17, I had a bad temper on the golf course, but my aunt sat me down and said I couldn't play golf with her husband, who had heart problems. Taught me one hell of a lesson.

Dave Rodman: What was his handicap?

Tim Packman: You have a lot more lessons to learn, grasshopper.

Ryan Smithson: This I know. But my point is that if Tony stays on the right path, he'll find himself driving better, reacting better, living better than he ever thought possible.

Dave Rodman: Seems to me I said that a week or two ago.

Ryan Smithson: You did. I learn from my elders.

One word: Bristol.

Tim Packman: Two words: Totally awesome!

Marty Smith: Makes my hair stand up -- even without the Dep gel.

Ryan Smithson: You're a fan, Packman.

Dave Rodman: And also like I said then, if the last two weeks are any indication, Tony has maybe the best shot at the title, since no one will step up to the plate and grab it.

Ryan Smithson: It's not the best race of the year, but it's damn sure the best event of the year.

Marty Smith: No sporting event I've ever seen even comes close to the feeling you have during the pace laps at the Bristol night race. It's truly unparalleled.

	Racing at Bristol? It's just awesome. Credit: Autostock

Tim Packman: Bristol brings out the best and beast of drivers for the night race. No, Ryan, I'm just able to share in the feelings of teams and fans for certain races. I don't buy tickets or merchandise.

Dave Rodman: Those track slogans are usually pretty anemic -- but Thunder Valley really gets it. Even before Bristol became the awesome facility it is, now, standing up on top of its press box, when it was in Turn 1 -- the noise just turned your inside into pudding.

Ryan Smithson: It's amazing how few seats the place had just a few years ago. Not sure how they did that. Overnight, it seems.

Tim Packman: I like the way the stands fill up slowly and the noise level starts to elevate as everyone gets ready for the night race.

Marty Smith: I can't help but holler my Duke Boys "YEEEEE HAW" when those cars roll off the pit lane.

Tim Packman: Oh Marty, you're a fan too!

Marty Smith: Damn straight. If you're not a fan at Bristol, your head's outta whack.

Tim Packman: Thank you, Marty. Now, tell that to Ryan.

Marty Smith: He's never been, Tim. Remember that.

Ryan Smithson: Jeff Gordon will win this weekend.

Tim Packman: Oh brother....

Dave Rodman: When you add the absolute 15-second laps on-the-edge-of-disaster every second aspect; a bunch of headstrong egomaniacs behind the wheel and fans that would make a Roman emperor proud -- yup, that's an experience.

Tim Packman: Dave, just what the hell did you have for breakfast this morning?

Marty Smith: I got my cash on Kevin Harvick.

Dave Rodman: We're doing predictions, if Rusty Wallace can't win at Bristol -- or be a race long threat -- I don't think I could honestly put my money on him anywhere else this season.

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