Track Smack: Indy

Is the points race over? I mean, come on. And don't give us the standard "Never over until it's over" answer.

Lee Montgomery: It's never over until it's over. Kidding. Yes, it's over. Kiss of death for Matt Kenseth, of course. But the way things are going, something weird would have to happen for him to blow it. We can say it's his to lose.

Dave Rodman: With 16 races remaining, that is a ridiculous question. Junior could be leading the point race in two races with the right set of circumstances. Gordon in three under the same scenario.

Ryan Smithson: Unless Kenseth gets hurt, it's over. They just look untouchable. Absolutely no mistakes, and when they start getting angry over 13th-place finishes, you know they are hungry.

Marty Smith: Matt was ticked off about finishing 13th Sunday -- a pretty good indication of how good the 17 bunch truly is. Unless Matt gets hurts like Sterling Marlin did last year or Junior can finish in the top-3 in every race for the next four months, that Fat Lady is on stage and tuning up her voice.

Ryan Smithson: Look at Rodman defending the points system! How touching!

Marty Smith: Be careful, boys. As soon as you question any aspect of the point system the whole Kenseth nation comes out of the woodwork saying you're defending Junior and Gordon.

After Last Lap last week, the whole world emailed me saying "If Junior or Gordon were the points leader you wouldn't even be having this discussion."

Send a nice letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Then, a Jeff Burton fan emailed me the link to a message board devoted solely to Roush fans' hatred of me. It's hysterical. So ready yourself boys, you'll be on there with me this week.

Lee Montgomery: Yeah, sure, stuff could happen. Blah blah blah. But it's likely stuff won't happen. There are 16 races left, and Ryan Newman could win it. But he won't.

Ryan Smithson: I hope Kenseth tacks on a couple more victories, because it's going to look silly having a champion with one win and Ryan Newman with 6-7.

Marty Smith: I'll agree with that, Smithson. Right now it looks like Busch and Newman could win 10 races between them this year.

Send a mean letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Nobody pushes equipment as hard as those boys do, which pays off in the short run but in today's NASCAR is not conducive to winning championships.

Ryan Smithson: It's time to start allowing 5-6 throwaway races.

Lee Montgomery: No, that's an absurd idea.

Ryan Smithson: Why in the world?

Ryan Smithson: People get hurt, crashes happen that are not your fault.

Lee Montgomery: Too bad? That's part of this business.

	Man. NASCAR's tough.

Marty Smith: Come on, Smithson. Lee's right. Injury is an inherent danger of racing and has prohibited guys from winning championships forever. That statement is ludicrous, man.

Dave Rodman: OK, so now you want to talk about probability -- well, Matt will probably win. But I bet Davey Allison thought he would probably have a couple championships by now, too.

Marty Smith: Easy, Dave. We don't need all that talk, man.

Lee Montgomery: If anything, maybe we could stop paying points for 30th or below. Jeff Gordon mentioned that recently, and it sounded good to me. Would keep wrecked cars from coming back.

Ryan Smithson: That's a good idea, too.

Marty Smith: I said that in Last Lap. Lapped traffic has become a major hindrance.

Lee Montgomery: But throwing away races? No. They all count. They're all important.

Dave Rodman: Right on, Lee. They have messed with enough traditions. The championship is what it is. Consistency and excellence across 36 races. So far Matt has ruled that roost.

	Jimmie, we've gotta talk, man. I am afraid that I am going to need some of my cars back.

Ryan Smithson: But we really do need to give them some throwaway races. Just a month's worth.

Lee Montgomery: Nope, zero.

Marty Smith: No way. None. That'd be a joke.

Dave Rodman: Never. You're telling me a cripple should win the championship? Well, he should if he can crawl into his car and flip the switches.

Ryan Smithson: I think Bill Elliott should have been allowed to rest a couple of weeks.

Dave Rodman: He could have. No one made him get into the racecar.

Lee Montgomery: Then let him rest. The championship is for the entire season.

Marty Smith: Dude, Awesome Bill is to be commended for his toughness. But it's nothing new. Ricky Rudd taped his eyeballs open. Elliott wouldn't sit out even if he could, so it's moot.

Ryan Smithson: So if Kenseth misses a race, he's finished? No title?

Lee Montgomery: No "do-overs" in this sport.

	Where's the camera? Where's the camera?

Ryan Smithson: If you have throw away races, maybe the actual points system would make some sense.

Lee Montgomery: Well, not this year.

Dave Rodman: No. If he missed a race right now the championship would be back on an even, interesting plane. Use your head.

Marty Smith: Boys, he's up 232 points over Junior and more than 300 over Gordon. No one else is even in the same ballpark. He could miss a race and laugh.

Lee Montgomery: Again, every race counts.

Ryan Smithson: I am tired of seeing the guys who actually win races not win the title.

Marty Smith: It sucks, Ryan, but it's how it is. The drivers don't seem to have much problem with it. They'd like to see the winner earn more points, but they all pretty much like the premise.

Dave Rodman: If they alternately win and blow up or wreck, they don't deserve the title. Simple as that.

Do you guys really see Tony Stewart going to Ganassi? The rumors won't stop.

Dave Rodman: Never. Rumors are created by guys with too much time on their hands. They ought to get involved in charity work.

Lee Montgomery: Where there's smoke, there's fire? Makes one wonder.

	Knock-Knock. Who's there? Losing streak. Losing Streak who?

Marty Smith: I can see it happening. Ganassi is everything Stewart wants -- good equipment and an open invitation to run Indy.

Ryan Smithson: The rumors are only coming from a couple of different places. So it's not a flood yet. And if and when it becomes a flood, people will get wet.

Dave Rodman: If you spit off a bridge, you'd wet some people, too.

Lee Montgomery: But I doubt it. Gibbs isn't about to let Stewart go.

Marty Smith: But Lee, Stewart has yet to re-up with Gibbs. He's obviously weighing his options. I'm sure he loves Joe Gibbs and all the boys there -- they helped him win a championship, after all -- but I think he might also be ready for a new home where he doesn't have to worry so much about the repercussions of being Tony Stewart.

Ryan Smithson: Highly unlikely, but then again, we've seen weirder things. I am amused by the fact that Stewart is supposedly worth "$5 million per year in salary" when some teams don't get that in sponsorship.

We were bored, so.......  Actual names found in the Stock Car Racing Encyclopedia:  Nero Steptoe  Spook Crawford  H. F. Stickleather  Jocko Maggiacomo  Swede Savage  Ramo Stott  Friday Hassler  Legs Whitcomb  Whitey Brainerd  Fats Caruso  Lew Fattman  Tubby Gonzales  Dizzy Dean  Clyde Dagit

Marty Smith: Stewart is doing all the drivers justice by holding out and feeling out his options, boys. By doing so, he will help raise the drivers pay scale that, sources say, for many years has not matched the risks they take on a weekly basis.

Lee Montgomery: Maybe he's that good.

Dave Rodman: I take Tony at his word. And what he said a couple weeks ago was totally plausible to me. I think Joe Gibbs' employees appreciate the situation they have and it would take something extraordinary to make something happen.

Ryan Smithson: He's definitely that good.

Marty Smith: Agreed. He's that good. If not for parts failures he'd be in the thick of the top-five hunt right now. He went from eighth to 14th after blowing that motor last week. Ouch.

Ryan Smithson: Tony definitely needs to stay with the crew chief he's got. And that might be the key.

Dave Rodman: I would see Gibbs making some other changes before he would allow Tony and Zip to leave -- but I don't necessarily see that happening, either.

Lee Montgomery: You'd like to think we could take these guys at their word. They've all said they're working on a new deal. Everything else we've heard is speculation.

Who will win the Brickyard?

Ryan Smithson: Stewart. He'll come back fired up, dominate, it'll be a nice pretty little story.

Not done yet!  And yet more names:  Burrhead Nantz  Blackie Pitt  Pug Blalock  Shorty Rollins  Fuzzy Anderson  Baldy Wilson  Pee Wee Ellwanger  Blackie Wangerin  More next week!

Lee Montgomery: Ryan Newman is simply awesome these days. Easy to pick him. But I'm easy. Newman might be a little spooked about Indy, though.

Dave Rodman: I wish I could say Rusty Wallace, but something is poisoning that deal, so I can't go there. Since Jeff Burton is overdue, is on a roll right now and I am a Paul Andrews believer -- how about a going away present for that 99 sponsor?

Marty Smith: Jeff Gordon will put his name on the distinguished list of four-time Indy-winners. He was already the man to beat, but the past two weeks have to be sticking in his crawl. Bad call at New Hampshire, meeting with the wall at Pocono. Look out, boys, it's on.

Ryan Smithson: It's hard to stop a freight train, that's for sure.

Lee Montgomery: He's not in awe about Indy, like some guys.

Ryan Smithson: Who? Stewart?

Lee Montgomery: Yes, he's from Indiana, but Newman seems to have that icy view of things. Just another race to him.

Ryan Smithson: Which is an advantage.

Lee Montgomery: Exactly.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com at 11 a.m. ET sharp.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.