Track Smack: Bristol

Is the Jimmy Spencer/Kurt Busch feud over? Will it flare up again?

Ryan Smithson: Call me crazy, but I think it stops here. These things have a way of flaming out. Granted, it took two years, but I do not think they will have another significant clash. It helps that they are 22 years apart in age. Spencer won't be around when Busch is 35.

Marty Smith: Spencer and Busch essentially despise one another, so I'd be willing to bet they have more run-ins on the track. Both are bull-headed, so you know they won't give and take on the track, and that will lead to more drama. You won't see any more punches thrown, though.

Dave Rodman: Is it a feud or is it the creation of an imaginative media? On the one hand, I don't think anyone goes into any race thinking they're going to "get driver A." However, if the opportunity presents itself, then you start looking at history to see where it started.

Lee Montgomery: If Michigan wasn't a wake-up call, then I don't know what will be. I don't know what caused Spencer to go off like he did, and I'm not sure it matters at this point. These guys have got to chill. It's got to stop. It's time for both of them to step up and be men and stop behaving like children.

Marty Smith: It's like I said yesterday in Last Lap, I wish Kurt had gotten out of that car and started swinging. I wish they'd have gone toe-to-toe for all the marbles. They both need a reality check.

Ryan Smithson: Let 'em have it all out, absolutely, Marty. That will fix it. They won't want to do that anymore, you know?

Send a nice letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Lee Montgomery: So a good fight fixes it? I'm not sure I agree.

Ryan Smithson: Lee, I think our point was, let them see how stupid they really look.

Marty Smith: If they'd just gone after it, it'd be over, Lee.

Dave Rodman: Will be interesting to see how many backslaps Jimmy gets at Bristol, if you believe what Robby Gordon was saying at Michigan.

Lee Montgomery: I'd hope they both realize who looks stupid now.

Marty Smith: I wonder if Kurt's face is screwed up as mine was after the softball deal. Doubt it.

Send a mean letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Lee Montgomery: Funny, someone said that after the race, MartDawg. "It wasn't as bad as Marty Smith's."

Ryan Smithson: Too bad a photo of Kurt after the race doesn't exist, otherwise, I'd post both together. Softball vs. Spencer's fist. Tale of the tape.

Marty Smith: Sweet. I guess NASCAR just wants to make a point that with evolution comes some sort of couth. Back in the day when Cale and Allison went at it, it was the best thing since peanut butter. These days, it's intolerable.

Ryan Smithson: I still think this is good publicity, Marty. I mean, it was on CNN in the middle of the day! Even the anchors were talking about how this will make people watch.

Marty Smith: NASCAR got more airtime on SportsCenter the past two days than I've seen in a long time. And I watch SportsCenter five times a day. Back to back.

	A loyal Mongo supporter rallies in support of Jimmy Spencer. Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: Like Bristol needs it! I hope the commission has other travel plans and can't get together until next week. It would be a shame if Jimmy were to miss Bristol.

Ryan Smithson: That's his problem.

Lee Montgomery: I went to a race last weekend and a boxing match broke out.

Marty Smith: He should have thought of that when he sucker-punched Busch, Dave.

Ryan Smithson: He should have hit him at Indy and missed Watkins Glen.

Lee Montgomery: That's actually quite funny, Ryan.

Marty Smith: That's weak, man. Punch a guy who's strapped into the confines of a roll cage. Wait 'til he gets out, and then bring it. I guess I can shut up now, since I said all of this yesterday.

What can be done to make sure that pit road mishap between Wallace and Earnhardt doesn't happen again?

Lee Montgomery: I don't know if there's anything that can be done. What do you do? Make a rule that says if you head to pit road, you have to go? Where do you start enforcing it? That was just an unfortunate wreck. One of them deals.

Marty Smith: I guess the best solution is once you get parallel with the infield grass or past the line that signals the start of pit road, you have to pit.

	Jimmy Spencer practices for the upcoming BMX race this weekend. Kurt Busch won't be participating. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: I think cars should be required to commit to pit road instead of having the option of making a sharp right and turning back onto the track at the last second.

Dave Rodman: As you know, we got a great suggestion from a fan: A "commit line" on pit road that, after you pass it, you have to come to pit road. It might've prevented the deal from happening with Rusty and Junior, but then again, on the one hand, that was an isolated incident; but on the other hand it's a miracle it doesn't happen every set of stops.

Lee Montgomery: A line is fine and all, but you'll still have people darting back before you get to the line.

Marty Smith: Lee's right. It happened. It sucked. Move on.

Ryan Smithson: These guys can't see the greatest out the right window. That stuff on pit road will happen.

Lee Montgomery: Most of the time the guys are single-file so it doesn't matter. This time, Junior was on the outside. Certainly not his fault, though.

Dave Rodman: Most impressive to me was how he maintained his philosophical attitude about the whole thing -- or appeared to in everything I saw. He didn't go off, didn't quit. Championship material in the making, race-by-race, day-to-day.

	Oh no. Bristol. Not Rusty again. Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: It's kind of like changing the point system. Not necessary. Don't come with a knee-jerk reaction to a one-time deal. Move on, even though it truly sucks Junior's day was ruined on account.

Ryan Smithson: And probably his year. He had a top-10 car.

Marty Smith: There goes Smithson again. How do you know he had a top-10 car man?

Ryan Smithson: I was driving it. It handled great. It was an awesome day for all our associate sponsors.

Marty Smith: You never know what would have happened 10 laps later. Bobby Labonte was awesome and puked the motor all over the track.

Ryan Smithson: Interesting thing about Bobby -- even with his recent slump, he's still got more top-fives than anyone else.

Dave Rodman: As he says, he might be on the verge of another five great runs in a row. However, Bristol??? One of my all-time favorite clips is Bobby slamming his helmet back into the window of his car, or trying to, after a Bristol melee.

Marty Smith: I love that one, too, Dave. And Sadler's helmet chuck during The Winston in 2001.

Ryan Smithson: Sadler's helmet chuck was 2002. Cause he hit Newman's car. Irony.

Who is the man to beat at Bristol?

Marty Smith: Kevin Harvick makes it two wins in the month of August. I'm going to say he sweeps the weekend.

Week 4   Actual names found in the Stock Car Racing Encyclopedia:  Slick Gardner  Hop Holmes  Major Melton  Roscoe Rann  Sandy Slack  Les Snow  Parks Surratt  Salt Walther  Layman Utsman  Sherman Utsman  Wimpy Sipple  Ewell Weddle  Fonty Flock  Fritz Schultz  Bobby Wawak  Buddie Boys  Iggy Katona  Volney Schulze  Augie Walackas  Pappy Hough  Bubba Into  Buren Skeen  Gober Sosebee  Tojo Stephens  Dorus Wisecraver  Week 3  Week 2  Week 1

Ryan Smithson: Tony Stewart, Tony Stewart, Tony Stewart, Tony Stewart. Smoke. Agent Orange.

Lee Montgomery: Before I answer, it's funny how seriously people take our picks. We take about two seconds to think of somebody, and then make up an excuse as to why we think so. On that note, I'll take Jeff Gordon. Hope Rusty's not in the way.

Dave Rodman: We could make a list of a bunch of people. For a lot of different reasons they have to be there and really near to the top. But Bristol is Bristol and man, it might be the hardest place to pick, due to the mayhem factor.

Ryan Smithson: You can't pick a winner in today's Winston Cup racing. This isn't 1998.

Dave Rodman: Harvick is on a roll, and he loves Bristol. Busch has got it going on there, shoot, and since holding your breath is such a big part of that place, maybe his breathing trouble won't be that much of an impediment.

Dave Rodman: Gordon and Wallace would be perfect, and on performance, it could happen. And I tell ya, if Ultra Motorsports gets its appeal process going, Spencer could challenge. They had appeared to get their cart headed back in the right direction at Michigan.

Ryan Smithson: They won't win the appeal, Dave. Get real, man.

Dave Rodman: I don't think so, and neither does Jim Smith. It's the process, brother. If they are appealing, I believe Jimmy is eligible to race. Bristol trucks at least. God bless Wednesday night shows.

Marty Smith: Kevin's the guy to beat, boys, especially tonight. I'm on his Truck Series pit crew tonight, and I'm nervous as all get out.

Ryan Smithson: Well, if you do mess up, don't hit anyone. You don't have $25,000.

Marty Smith: Lord, no. I don't have $25.

Dave Rodman: Well, Marty -- keep your face on the right side of pit wall -- or wear a lineman's football helmet.

Ryan Smithson: Good luck. We're all counting on you.

Marty Smith: Airplane. God bless it.

Ryan Smithson: Glad you got that.

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

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.