Track Smack: Texas

Who has the most to be angry about after Bristol?

Marty Smith: I am going to have to say Jimmy Spencer. It was his first legitimate chance to win in a year, and to have an ill-timed caution cost you a shot at victory, I'd be pissed off.

Ryan Smithson: Terry Labonte. Poor guy. He needed that like he needed a hole in his head. He easily had a top-three car and he simply got taken out. The good thing is, the man can still drive. But oh well, what is done is done.

Dave Rodman: Terry Labonte. He had the run of the last couple years going and a lapped car got into him, kind of in a sloppy way, it appeared. Lapped cars have more of a responsibility to watch where they're going.

Lee Montgomery: No one should be too angry. Hey, "this is Bristol," as we've come to hear. Anyone who thinks they were going to come out clean at Bristol is fooling themselves. But then again, if I were Brett Bodine, I'd be hiding.

Marty Smith: You can't go that far, Smithson. Like LeeMont said, it's freakin' Bristol. A million things could have happened to Jimmy. But that caution? That just sucks.

Ryan Smithson: But I agree with Marty - Spencer definitely would have won that race.

Send Hate Mail Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Dave Rodman: That caution falling was the ultimate "that's racing." Spencer has been good enough that his time is coming... But Terry's high spots have been few and far between.

Ryan Smithson: In recent years Terry has only found the magic on tracks that place a bigger emphasis on the driver -- road courses and short tracks. Other than that, backmarker.

Lee Montgomery: No doubt about it. But the fastest car doesn't always win. And things have a way of evening out, don't they? (Kurt Busch, hint hint)

Ryan Smithson: I can see why the drivers don't exactly enjoy going to Bristol. It beats you up more mentally than physically, and that's saying a lot.

	Waiting for Newman Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: It is certainly mentally exhausting, but more mentally than physically, Smithson? Tell that to Kyle Petty, bro.

Ryan Smithson: That Petty deal looked a lot worse than I was, Marty. Just like Grissom at Atlanta in 1997.

Lee Montgomery: Or Mike Harmon last year.

Dave Rodman: Saying it's "just Bristol" is like saying "there's gonna be a big one at Daytona and Talladega." Neither one is quite valid a statement to make.

Lee Montgomery: Bristol doesn't cause wrecks. Drivers cause wrecks. But they do happen more at Bristol.

Marty Smith: It's just the dynamic of putting 43 cars on a half-mile at 120 mph. Chaos is bound to reign supreme, boys. It ain't rocket science.

Lee Montgomery: But I do think Bristol is tougher physically than almost any other place.

	Can you hear me now? Good! Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: I didn't mean physically just it's not hard physically, I meant it really messes with your mind.

Dave Rodman: Thank goodness for that, Lee. But 15- or 16-second laps with 43 cars on a race track and the pressure to either not fall any further behind or to move ahead makes the opportunity for a wreck, or a collision to occur many times a lap.

Marty Smith: There are so many split-second decisions that have to be made, so I can see your point, Smithson. I just wish you thought a little before your fingers started moving sometimes.

Lee Montgomery: Accidents are going to happen, and they are going to happen more often at Bristol than anywhere else. But there was some really dumb driving Sunday.

What is wrong with Dodge this year?

Marty Smith: Their slogan is Dodge: Different. Problem is, they're the same they've been since Day 1.

Ryan Smithson: Ganassi has two rookies. Evernham's not up to snuff, and Penske doesn't have the cars figured out yet. It's that simple.

	Squeeze Play Credit: Autostock

Lee Montgomery: I'm not convinced there is anything wrong. I do think they were caught by the new body location, and that has put them back.

Ryan Smithson: Give it to Lee to actually give an intelligent response.

Marty Smith: Aren't they the only make not to have been given any provisions yet?

Ryan Smithson: Provisions, no. Provisonals, yes.

Lee Montgomery: Give to Ryan for coming up with a witty response. Well, not really.

Marty Smith: I could be wrong. Keeping up with body provisions is akin to having my eyeballs gouged out with a pencil.

	Spencer leaves the field in the dust. Sounds weird, don't it? Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: As a group, their teams have been pretty well set upon -- Ryan you might have come close to it.

Ryan Smithson: Penske's getting close. Their luck is terrible.

Marty Smith: The Penske cars have run well, though, they just don't have the finishes to show for it. Though, I'll admit, that statement is virtually clich? at this point.

Lee Montgomery: Rusty could have a couple of wins this year. And Newman has been good a few times. The real mystery is Marlin. He hasn't been as strong as expected. And whatever happened to Jeremy Mayfield?

Marty Smith: That 93 octane cologne, bro. Causes one mean rash.

Ryan Smithson: Mayfield has been absent since 2000. He needs to be find a smaller team and have the voice to set up his own machine the way he wants. Not sure that's happening at Evernham.

Marty Smith: Wow. Strong analysis from a guy who doesn't go to the track.

Dave Rodman: That's it. As well as Bill Elliott was a year ago, we would have expected much better out of them. Jeremy has not consistently been able to hook it up at Ray's -- you're right.

	Aren't you a little old to be playing paper football? Credit: AP

Marty Smith: Good to know you and Jeremy are still tight, Smithson.

Ryan Smithson: A lot of drivers want "good equipment," and that's all good, but you give up a lot of autonomy when you get into a good car. And that creates a lot of problems with certain people.

Lee Montgomery: I'd rather have a good car than autonomy. In other words, shut up and race.

Marty Smith: Autonomy? Who cares?

Ryan Smithson: And that is your right, but I am not sure I would. Spencer's doing awfully better this year, because he likes the environment.

Dave Rodman: You still need that evasive "chemistry." You're right, Ryan.

	After I ran into Andretti, my car drove like this! Credit: AP

Lee Montgomery: Could Jeremy be one of those guys that just doesn't seem to try hard when things are going well?

Ryan Smithson: I cut my hair like Jeremy's. No women flocking to the car though.

Marty Smith: I bet ol' Jimmy was laughing his tail off every time he lapped that Target car Sunday.

Lee Montgomery: Casey's had a rough go of it, hasn't he?

Ryan Smithson: Atwood or Mears? Well, both of them I guess. It's all ball bearings these days.

Lee Montgomery: Don't tell me my business, boy!

Dave Rodman: I don't think he thinks that way, Marty. If he was, he would have walled Kurt the first time they were near each other, and obviously all they did was race clean all day.

Lee Montgomery: Casey Atwood? Who is he?

	Terry stops by Hooters for a visit. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: He's a guy who used to.....well, never mind.

Marty Smith: Mears will be fine. That kid's a shoe. He just needs to get a few breaks. It's like Busch. It seems like everything always goes right for him. Without that caution Sunday, he doesn't win. Busch's motor blew during Happy Hour Saturday at Darlington instead of during the race Sunday, like Burton.

Ryan Smithson: Mears is gonna tear up a lot of cars. Busch tore up a ton of cars in his rookie year too. People forget that.

Dave Rodman: Ganassi has got a big fleet of cars. Good thing. He'll need them.

Who is the man to beat at Texas?

Dave Rodman: Junior has been pretty good there the last couple years. He needs to look out for the lapped cars, like everyone else.

Ryan Smithson: Bobby Labonte's got momentum. I'll take him.

Lee Montgomery: Hard to beat a Chevy, if you believe some folks. Hard to beat Kurt Busch, if you ask me.

Ryan Smithson: Well, I figured picking Kurt Busch would be too easy.

Dave Rodman: You were right -- it was too easy.

Dave Rodman: Stewart's due, too.

Marty Smith: Elliott Sadler gets his first win at Yates.

Ryan Smithson: Winner gets a cool $500,000 this week, boys.

Lee Montgomery: I'm easy. And cheap.

Dave Rodman: Nobody cares about the money but the accountants. And Brett Bodine, unfortunately.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.