Track Smack: Talladega

Was Brian Vickers robbed on Saturday?

Ryan Smithson: Yes, because the rule says "act of passing," so who can you pass when you are the leader? I guess he should have just rammed into the back of Blount. He didn't have many options.

Lee Montgomery: Robbed like a little old lady at night. Two important points here. No. 1. He was the freaking leader! No. 2 Whoever heard of the phrase "the act of passing." That's a bunch of ... well, I can't say it here. Let's face it. Every car out there is in the "act of passing," is it not?

Marty Smith: Of course he was. Just like I said yesterday in Last Lap, NASCAR completely dropped the ball on that one. Act of passing? He was the freaking' leader, for goodness sake. Vickers had to elude a car that was not only slower but also was out of sorts. He had limited options. Next time, I guess he'll just put Blount in the wall and shrug his shoulders. "Sorry, Chad. Last time I got screwed. Nothing against you, buddy. I had to do it."

Lee Montgomery: And if you think about it, Vickers didn't really go to the left as much as he stayed straight. Blount went to the right. By the time they went through the dogleg, there was no room outside Blount.

Send Hate Mail Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Ryan Smithson: What is Vickers supposed to do? Wait for the guy right behind him to punt him?

Marty Smith: Vickers made the right choice. If he didn't go left, he'd have had to go right and chance hitting the wall, hit the brakes and stack up the field or just plain run Blount over. Once again, in NASCAR's mind, it appears that's the best choice.

Send Nice Mail Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Lee Montgomery: Yeah, that's crazy. And remember, he did not pass anyone. He was beside Blount, but since when is that passing?

Ryan Smithson: He had a wheel on him. That was it.

Lee Montgomery: I guess Jamie McMurray passed Todd Bodine at Darlington. So McMurray should have won the Busch race, right? At least in that logic?

Ryan Smithson: Funny thing was, Blount got back on the lead lap, finished fifth.

Marty Smith: Think about the financial ramifications of NASCAR's decision. Vickers goes from a race-winning car, and the $60,000 that goes to the winner, to being black-flagged and ending up in a wreck with a destroyed car. That's a difference of about $200,000, I'd bet.

	I went to Texas and all I got was my nose smashed. Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: More than that, Marty. Vickers would have been eligible for certain programs, and his sponsor lost at least a million in exposure.

Lee Montgomery: And who knows? Let's hope Vickers wins soon, but what if he doesn't win ever again? He was robbed, pure and simple.

Dave Rodman: What, the exposure of winning vs. the exposure of getting in wiped out in a 15-car wreck and then getting to spew about it?

Ryan Smithson: Dave, I think Vickers' sponsor would rather have the victory lane photos.

Marty Smith: I hate it when judgment calls decide the outcome. Come on, Dave. What is that!

Lee Montgomery: I hate it in other sports when people complain about referees, but in this instance, it's justified

	What is your hand doing out of the window, Jimmie? Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: It's time for the gray areas in rules to be painted in jet-black ink.

Marty Smith: Not all of them, Smithson. There needs to be room for judgment in certain areas, but for the most part you're right.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, which rule needs to be gray?

Marty Smith: Like the yellow line rule at Talladega, Ryan. Sometimes guys can't help but go below that yellow line.

Ryan Smithson: Oh yeah, I agree. They don't need the yellow rule.

Lee Montgomery: But that's part of the rule. Unless you are "forced down."

Ryan Smithson: Too many guys have gotten screwed already. Kenny Wallace, 2002. Tony Stewart, 2001.

	Race on Sunday, chiropractor on Monday. Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: Ryan -- what, are you talking about the time Tony got forced below the yellow line and within the space of less than two laps forced his own teammate below it?

Lee Montgomery: I'm with Ryan, believe it or not. A rule is a rule is a rule. Period.

Marty Smith: There's the judgment call again, though. It's someone's decision in a booth 300 feet in the air whether or not a guy was forced down.

Dave Rodman: What they need is a revert back to the last completed lap rule when a yellow comes out. That's what Jeff Gordon was talking about Sunday. Pretty simple.

Lee Montgomery: Every short track in the country does that.

Marty Smith: That deal with Gordon and Kenseth was completely absurd, too.

Ryan Smithson: Oh man, that was awful. Almost as bad as Vickers.

Endorsed letter  Did any of you feel like I did that NASCAR messed up the races this weekend at Texas?  The black flag at the Busch race was uncalled for and it was only topped by the mid-race call by NASCAR in the Cup race to keep Kenseth in the lead after he let his team mates back on the lead lap, even though Gordon should have been leading at the time.  I am a huge NASCAR fan, but that call in the Cup race was in my opinion one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. It made me feel cheated.  I thought this was an automobile race and that the start finish line was actually the scoring line. Apparently I am wrong. If NASCAR wants everyone to hold their position under yellow they need to tell the drivers, (and fans), this up front. If they try to enforce a stupid call like that next week, what will the outcome be?  Try to tell the guys at Dega to hold their position. I have watched hundreds of races and any time a lead lap car tries to pass the leader under yellow the leader usually speeds up to keep them behind them.  This is usually what is done in racing. What NASCAR let happen at Texas on Saturday and Sunday will taint my feelings towards NASCAR for quite some time. NASCAR really needs to get some hard fast rules in writing regarding these situations.  Greg (Unhappy NASCAR fan)

Marty Smith: Either Gordon is the leader and the Roush boys get a lap back, or Matt is the leader and they stay a lap down. How the heck can you have it both ways? It seems impossible, but it sure as sugar happened.

Ryan Smithson: Gordon has not won in a long time and I am sure it made him sick seeing 2-3 more cars enter the picture that could ruin his day. It's all about eliminating potential problems, and letting those lapped cars back invites that.

Lee Montgomery: Gordon got to the finish line first. Therefore, he is the leader, right? When did that change? Did someone wake up and decide this wasn't racing?

Dave Rodman: Marty -- you got it backwards. Matt was letting them get their lap back. Jeff said "no way" and that is where the controversy came in.

Ryan Smithson: That is ridiculous that we even have to waste time even arguing a point that is silly to begin with. It's like arguing for free air.

Dave Rodman: This is NASCAR country. Air would not be free. It would be licensed.

Lee Montgomery: I agree. Passing is when you actually pass a car, and the leader is the first one to the start-finish line.

Marty Smith: I know Matt was letting them get their lap back, Dave. But in doing so Jeff passed him, too. So why isn't Jeff the leader? If NASCAR is going to let Kurt and Burton advance positions, why can't Gordon?

Lee Montgomery: Amen.

Ryan Smithson: Lord only knows. And I mean that literally.

Marty Smith: I'm so damn tired of writing about this I could scream. And I would, but my wife is asleep on the couch.

Ryan Smithson: We didn't ask for this argument. It was thrown as us.

Lee Montgomery: Let's throw it back.

Marty Smith: Enough. Let's talk about something else.

Talladega predictions? Can they stop DEI?

Marty Smith: No way. Junior sweeps the weekend and becomes the eighth different winner in as many races.

Ryan Smithson: Well, let this throw this out . At Daytona, we saw some light -- RCR had caught up a little. Maybe that's a sign. But no, Junior will win again. Talladega winner for the 67th straight time.

	Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: Hmmm. When you say "Talladega" and predictions all I can think of is that Busch race a couple years ago -- the one with the 30-car pileup. That's why you can't reliably predict races there.

Marty Smith: NASCAR's got to be stoked. Every make has won this year, and a different driver has won every race.

Lee Montgomery: I've been accused of being a Junior fan, so I'm not going to pick him. On second thought, that's stupid. He's just too good there. Junior.

Marty Smith: The Junior haters are funny, aren't they? One of them told me to take the lube out of my hair...nevermind.

Ryan Smithson: Junior is Reagan, and everyone else is Mondale. At Talladega anyway.

Dave Rodman: Make or break for Elliott Sadler. He can make it happen and his crappy string has got to end sooner rather than later. I fear the longer it goes the deeper it gets.

Lee Montgomery: Make or break? How many races has he run? Come on Rodman, that's nuts.

Marty Smith: make or break? Come on, Dave! Wake up, man? Sadler has already been a contender to win three times this year.

Ryan Smithson: Sadler sounded awfully condident, Dave. He's fine.

Lee Montgomery: If you said make or break for ... Jeremy Mayfield, I might agree. But Sadler? Not yet. Not even close.

Ryan Smithson: He was nearly giddy over leading 91 laps. I am sure his confidence ain't lacking.

Marty Smith: Dave, did you forget to take your Geritol, man? Elliott ran away with Texas until the tire issue.

Dave Rodman: How did Rusty Wallace get to facing a 69-race winless streak -- or Jeff Gordon 30-plus last year? Day turns to a week turns to a month so I am simply saying "end it now" and quit banking promises.

Ryan Smithson: Elliott Sadler isn't got over 50 wins, Dave.

Lee Montgomery: Dale Jarrett ain't exactly lit it up recently. Is it make or break for him, too?

Marty Smith: Either way, it'll be surprising if a Ford wins on Sunday.

Ryan Smithson: Yep, that is the bottom line, Marty. They need to just hang out until Martinsville.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.