Track Smack: Offseason

In your opinion, what "changes" are coming to the 2004 Winston Cup Schedule?

Ryan Smithson: I think one of the off-weekends will be taken away, given to Kentucky, and Darlington's and Rockingham's spring races will be given to Kansas and California, respectively, but a lotta tweaking will have to be done to geographically align the schedule.

Lee Montgomery: Shouldn't Tampa get a date? Boy, they sure kicked Oakland's silver-and-black butts. And who said the Bucs would win? I believe that would be me, so I'm expecting props my way. As far as the schedule, I think we would all agree Darlington and Rockingham's days are numbered.

Marty Smith: If anything, more night races. I don't see any races changes venues in 2004. Think about the fight that local governments will put up if someone wants to change a race date. I know that Dover Downs wants to put a race in Nashville, but not that the expense of taking $100 million from the local Dover economy. I think way more goes into this than simply saying, "OK, let's move a race from Atlanta to Texas."

Dave Rodman: Probably none. Could have been a grandstand move by Bill. And it seems strange that he would create a lot of smoke over plans to move one of his own races, but I think either Darlington or Rock is getting cut back.

Marty Smith: You're crazy, Smithson. There will not be any races added to the schedule.

Ryan Smithson: You said that before 2001 too, Marty.

Send us hate mail MartDawg Ryan Lee Dave

Marty Smith: That's one thing that almost certainly won't happen. These guys are already stretched way too thin.

Lee Montgomery: That didn't stop NASCAR in the first place, but I'm with you. MartDawg.

Ryan Smithson: There are 52 weekends in a year, so I think NASCAR sees 14 open weekends, Marty. Seriously.

Lee Montgomery: If NASCAR cared about the crew guys, there wouldn't be 20 weekends in a row.

Marty Smith: I understand what you're saying, Smithson, it's just wrong. Seriously.

Ryan Smithson: Oh, I never said they are not stretched too thin, but maybe NASCAR will encourage teams to use first-half and second-half personnel.

Lee Montgomery: I can't believe France mentioned Charlotte. I'm sure that really ticked off Bruton. You actually think Charlotte will lose a race date? The Winston, yes. A regular date? No way.

	Don't y'all take away a race at Rockingham. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: Dover makes far too much money to move a race to unproven Nashville, which has a hard time selling out a Busch race.

Dave Rodman: They won't add any races. And you're right, Marty -- Dover is not gonna excommunicate itself from its pirate community by eliminating one of their opportunities to pillage the NASCAR community.

Ryan Smithson: Maybe I am crazy, who knows, but the time is now to move NASCAR into the front-line mainstream, and maybe they will do something really far-fetched to do it.

Marty Smith: Teams are already going the way of the 24 and 88 -- that being that they fly guys in just on Sunday, only to pit the car. For a lot of teams, the guys that turn wrenches all weekend are no longer gonna be pitting the car on Sunday.

Lee Montgomery: This schedule thing is something we'll have to keep an eye on all season. Fans of some of these tracks better ante up this year.

	How much longer will Darlington be a NASCAR tradition? Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: Lee, big time -- and we'll see stories galore if Rockingham falls to sell out. Darlington too.

Marty Smith: I think the local economy deal is huge. The local governments know NASCAR is a major budget score. That's why the city of Charlotte fought like hell to keep The Winston. I think that weekend alone dumps some $80 million into the local Charlotte economy.

Lee Montgomery: Bruton himself said he wasn't moving any dates. At least I think that's what he said. He looked a little too much like Don Rickles when he was asked about it.

Marty Smith: Look at Lee today, boys. What'd you eat this morning, son?

Lee Montgomery: Props, baby, I need props. Who said Tampa would win? None of you, I assure you.

Marty Smith: This ain't called Field Smack, buddy. We really don't give a crap.

Dave Rodman: True. I figured Tampa would win as well -- Chucky power.

Marty Smith: Bowl Smack -- the residue around Smithson's john.

Ryan Smithson: I clean my johns regularly. Anyways, they won't move a race from Atlanta to Texas. They spent eight figures improving Atlanta just a few years ago.

Dave Rodman: One of the Darlington or Rockingham dates could be switching. But since the series is already in Kansas, Chicago and California, it is sad to take a second date there -- unless the seating capacities are way further out of comparative equality than I thought.

Ryan Smithson: You don't paint the bridge before you tear it down, although they did that once in my hometown of Centerville, Tenn.

Lee Montgomery: Back to the schedule. I have never understood why we go to some of these places twice a year.

Ryan Smithson: I just hope they don't go to Fontana the week after Daytona. But I think they will. I really do.

	Report: Gruden announces intention to field Pontiac at Daytona. Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: Lee, it's about tradition. History. The way it's always been.

Ryan Smithson: Tradition is about to change.

Lee Montgomery: We used to go to Wilkesboro, too.

Ryan Smithson: Even Fenway Park will be felled someday!

Dave Rodman: Ryan, thanks for reminding me. I need to go this year when I am up there for NHIS races.

Ryan Smithson: Dave, when Fenway Park is felled by the wrecking ball, I hope you watch it fall into Yawkey Way, brick by brick.

Lee Montgomery: If I was making the schedule -- only Daytona, Charlotte and the short tracks get two dates.

Marty Smith: NASCAR's different now, though, Dave. It's not about "the way it's always been" anymore. They used to take cars to the track in a bread truck. They used to show races on cable.

Dave Rodman: All I am saying is that it takes a mighty big guy to say, "Thanks for getting us here, but see ya later," to some of the tracks that are around right now and have been for years...

Wooden leg named Smith  Marty Smith got this email last week. We didn't make this up:  "Yes, my name is marty smith from Pennsylvania & I love nascar.  I couldnt beleave someone has my name. I mailed your stories too my friends, they will get a good laugh.  Also my son is named Marty Smith 3rd.  P.S. there seems to be a lot of Marty Smiths out there?"

Lee Montgomery: That happened a few years back. Didn't stop NASCAR from leaving Wilkesboro, and it won't stop them now.

Marty Smith: It'll be very sad when some of those places lose dates. Rockingham depends on NASCAR so much. Hotels, restaurants. Man, they'll lose half their income.

Lee Montgomery: I guess that's what we call progress, NASCAR-style.

Dave Rodman: Well, I hate to say it but someone is gonna have to die and the change will be huge. What do you think prompted the loss of North Wilkesboro?

Lee Montgomery: Money-grubbers, of course.

Ryan Smithson: NFL pulls out of Green Bay, moves to Portland. Portland Packers.

Lee Montgomery: Whether any of us like it or not, it's all about the cash these days.

Marty Smith: Boys, Wilkesboro isn't the same place. It's a ghost town man. It's sad to see that track with chipped paint all over the walls, the stands all weathered.

Dave Rodman: Yup. I bet at the point it's at now it would take more to put it back in shape than they could ever hope to recoup.

Marty Smith: NASCAR needs to send the Busch Series to Wilkesboro. Trucks, too.

Rick Mast retired last week. What is your best memory of the man?

Dave Rodman: 1980-something. Rick was a force in the Busch Series when he drove for his father-in-law. That was some chemical balance, boys.

	That was an um, colorful uniform Rick had on back in 2000.

Lee Montgomery: My best memory is an early one. He had the car to beat in the Daytona 500 one year but didn't win because of fuel mileage. Don't you think his career would've been different had he won that?

Dave Rodman: Yes sir, Lee -- that is back in the day -- Travis Carter's pure white car at Daytona, 1989.

Ryan Smithson: This is going to sound weird, but my best memory is when he brought a Thunderbird to Daytona in 1999, long after the Taurus became the car Ford used.

Lee Montgomery: Another favorite story is how he traded a cow for his first car. Imagine someone trying that today. Have to be an awful fat cow.

Marty Smith: Rick Mast is one of the best gentlemen to ever compete in NASCAR. I've known about him forever, since he hails from the V-A.

Marty Smith: I remember talking to him when he drove that Woody Woodpecker car, and had to walk around with that deal on his back. I walked up to him and said, "Hey man, nice Woodpecker." We both cracked up pretty huge on that one.

Ryan Smithson: He really liked driving for that team. I talked to him right after they split up. He was crushed.

	Rick lasted longer with A.J. Foyt than just about anyone else.

Lee Montgomery: I hope we don't see a big rush to condemn NASCAR for carbon monoxide poisoning. Mast's is an isolated case, I think. Everyone is different, and the CO affected him differently than someone else.

Marty Smith: It was awesome talking to him the other day, when he announced his retirement. He's crushed. He can't even mow his own yard for fear he might inhale some carbon monoxide fumes. He told me he's gonna find his limit, though. He simply can't quit tinkering. He's a car guy. Staying away from machinery would end him just as quick as carbon monoxide inhalation.

Dave Rodman: Of course, his most high-profile memory was winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 pole. That was a pretty nice "take that" slap by a great guy and a workman-like team -- the Jackson boys were good stuff.

Ryan Smithson: He was hoping to drive until he was 60, Dick Trickle style.

Marty Smith: I bet Mast ends up on TV. The man's a great talker.

Lee Montgomery: That's funny you say that, MartDawg. When Mast first showed up, he was painfully shy. But he worked on it and got a lot better. I remember a race at Rockingham where he and Earnhardt went at it. Dale won, of course, but Rick gave him all he could handle.

	Mast meets the tape recorders for the final time. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: That was 1994, Lee. Mast was driving the No. 1 Ford.

Marty Smith: Stat boy is back! How many nose hairs did Mast have at that time, Smithson? What's his shoe size?

Ryan Smithson: He probably had 588 nose hairs.

Dave Rodman: Rick would be a good TV commentator but finding a place for him would be tough. They shuffled Buddy Baker off to Buffalo and he was well worth listening to.

Lee Montgomery: One other piece of trivia? Who won the pole in Richard Petty's last race? Our boy Mast.

Ryan Smithson: Brett Bodine started second!

Marty Smith: It's amazing that was more than a decade ago.

Lee Montgomery: He said he saw a flock of reporters headed his way after he got out of the car from his lap, but they all rushed past him. He turned around, and Petty was there.

Lee Montgomery: Great storyteller. Need more guys like him.

Ryan Smithson: Actually, I read somewhere that Mast's charm after winning the Brickyard pole helped NASCAR at the time because it gave all the northern reporters such good copy. He really entertained them -- in a good way.

Dave Rodman: It's really too bad he could not have won a Winston Cup race. With all that he committed to the deal, he certainly deserved it.

Lee Montgomery: Sometimes this is a cruel sport.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com, even in the offseason.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.