Track Smack: New Hampshire

Ryan Smithson is on vacation this week. Send him an e-mail and let him know how much you missed him.

Following its suspension of Jimmy Spencer, was NASCAR inconsistent in its penalties at Richmond?

Lee Montgomery: That's a tough question, because I do believe they were different. Spencer hitting Busch was not the same as Harvick bumping into Rudd.

Now, if Harvick had been able to get to Rudd, I'm guessing they were going to talk about where to go to dinner. Now, am I saying NASCAR is consistent? Do mice bark?

Dave Rodman: To a degree, I think they were inconsistent. They definitely were different incidents, but look at it this way: If Kevin doesn't get out of line going into the garage and head to pit road, there is no ugly incident on national TV. I think NASCAR's methods provide no deterrent for "abnormal" behavior and I think Kevin was lucky to get away so lightly.

Marty Smith: Their methods are certainly quirky. A guy punches a guy in the face, in a one-on-one beef where no one else was involved, and sits out a week. A huge melee breaks out on pit road, where several innocent bystanders are located, and neither driver receives quiet time. That said, if those crew boys didn't get involved, nothing would have happened. I think Ricky was very calm.

Kevin wasn't, but I highly doubt he'd have thrown a punch.

Lee Montgomery: I think the main difference between the two was there were no punches thrown in the Harvick-Rudd deal. Lucky for Harvick, I think. He was pretty hot. I guess we'll never know, thank goodness.

	This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you Kevin, but no Playstation 2 for a month. Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: Marty, Ricky was certainly very collected by the time he got to the Media Center, but I had to laugh at the video clip of that ol' Rooster clinching his fists in Harvick's direction on pit road and telling him, "bring it on!"

Marty Smith: Ol' Rooster has been known to throw a punch or two at Richmond. Or a water bottle, maybe.

Dave Rodman: Yeah man, the Rooster has been known to light it up.

Lee Montgomery: He and my sister would've taken on Harvick.

Dave Rodman: For as upset as he had every right to be, I think Kevin was surgically precise in the way in which he drove into Ricky's car -- but it still doesn't absolve him from moving it, with other people around it on pit road.

Marty Smith: Pit road is not the place to resolve feuds after a race. There's WAY too many people out there running around, and many of them don't pay a whole helluva lot of attention. By trying to make a point, a driver could hurt someone badly.

Lee Montgomery: Amen to that. We've absolutely got to keep cars out of the equation. Fighting is bad enough, but keep the battles between the cars ON the track.

Dave Rodman: I think the bottom line was that Kevin was absolutely beside himself, while until his car got hit, Ricky had no idea much of anything was going on.

Send a nice letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Dave Rodman: Everyone raves about how useful spotters are. In this case, Kevin's spotter should've told him to keep driving around the racetrack and talking to him.

Lee Montgomery: I wonder if he did advise him of anything. DeLana certainly did all she could.

Dave Rodman: As long as Kevin was fumigating, the spotter should've had him keep making laps. Sooner or later, he would've calmed down enough and been cleared to drive into the garage. Now THAT would make a point.

Lee Montgomery: Say, just for fun, let's all make fun of Ryan, since he's not here to say something ridiculous.

Marty Smith: Lord. He hasn't a clue. Though he was correct in being the only one of us all who correctly said Vickers would be in Winston Cup. He deserves credit for that, bad as I hate to admit it.

Dave's word of the week  mal·a·prop·ism (ml-prp-zm) n. Ludicrous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound.

Dave Rodman: Ryan isn't as bad as Yogi Berra at issuing malapropisms --- if that's a word -- but I do kind of miss his own endearing brand of idiocy.

Marty Smith: He elevates idiocy to an art.

With the absolutely invigorating racing we saw at Richmond last weekend, what do you think we'll see at New Hampshire this weekend?

Lee Montgomery: Remember how good the race at New Hampshire was the last time we were there. I expect it to be as good, if not better. Won't be as good as Richmond, but what track is?

Dave Rodman: For a second, the natural step would be to say Bristol, but I think the comparison would be more like Richmond is an awesome racetrack and Bristol is a concrete cage match in 3,400-pound tights. They're both spectacular, all the same.

Send a mean letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Marty Smith: I expect the racing will be quite good this weekend. Bob Bahre and the boys are to be commended for the job they've done repairing that place. Last year it was a joke. Now they've made it legit.

Dave Rodman: Lee, you're right -- each facility has different dimensions to it. New Hampshire was pretty thrilling last time, you're right, in its own way. That big, flat bullring has got a certain charm all its own.

Lee Montgomery: Now you can race on it.

Dave Rodman: Yes sir, and New Hampshire has always put a premium on great pit work and pitting strategy. Even though it seems a lot of drivers and crew chiefs don't cotton much to that -- it's all part of it.

Marty Smith: And I say AMEN to the soft walls up there. They performed very well last weekend at Richmond, and they've been a long time coming at New Hampshire.

Lee Montgomery: Amen to that. Keep 'em coming, too.

Marty Smith: You boys should have seen Gary Nelson last weekend. He couldn't wipe the grin off of his face when talking about how the SAFER barrier performed. Well done, boys.

Lee Montgomery: I know some people will be critical because it took so long, but they're clueless. Developing the SAFER needs to be done right, and I'm glad they did it right.

	A word of advice John: Be careful if they ask you to move your office to the basement. Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: I'd have to think Jason Keller's hit was softened dramatically because of it.

Dave Rodman: When we see the SAFER barriers at Homestead, I think that will be one of the biggest safety steps we've had in quite a while -- even with all the other great steps that have taken place. It was pretty impressive the way they worked at Richmond, without needing any repairs.

Marty Smith: Especially considering the impacts they sustained, Dave. Skinner's Turn 1 hit was big. Keller's was huge.

Dave Rodman: ESad's wasn't a walk in the park, either. And most of the guys said what they felt was greatly reduced. Once the SAFER walls go up at Homestead and pass muster in November, man, the gates will be wide open for all the other banked tracks we've got.

Who's going to win the Sylvania 300 this weekend at New Hampshire?

Marty Smith: I went with Jeff Gordon last weekend, and dad gummit he had an awesome race car. He and Junior were the class of the field for a long time. I'm going with Jeff again. This is his week.

Dave Rodman: So Marty, you're betting on Jeff to keep air in his tires at NHIS? Who else might win?

Marty Smith: I say Jeff's the man, but look out for the Roush boys, namely Kenseth and Biffle. Oddly enough, it suits both styles -- Matt's patience and Greg's mat-it mentality.

Lee Montgomery: I think Harvick will bounce back very nicely, I think. He ran pretty well at NHIS in July and clearly has been the best in the last month or so, Ricky Rudd aside.

Dave Rodman: In everything he's raced lately: From trucks to Busch to Cup, Kevin has been truly dynamic -- and dynamite -- so yeah, I'd say there's no reason he won't bounce back and be a real challenger this weekend. Dale Jarrett, though, has to end his miserable streak sooner, rather than later.

Marty Smith: I'd be more apt to choose Jeff Burton, but I have a distinct feeling Robby Gordon might have a say in the outcome of Burton's day.

Lee Montgomery: By the way, the point race is done. Over. Finished.

Dave Rodman: Hahahah -- you guys know I am a believer, I guess, in fate and there being no sure things. But in Matt and Robbie's case, I might make an exception.

	Ladies and gentlemen, the most powerful man in NASCAR. Credit: Autostock

Lee Montgomery: Exactly. It'll take a monumental collapse for someone else to win and it ain't gonna happen. Harvick has been great -- his post-Richmond blow-up aside -- but he's too far back.

Dave Rodman: Just when you think someone's gonna make a charge, poof -- or crunch -- and Matt's picked up 18 more points. Give or take a dozen.

Marty Smith: Even when Matt has a crappy night, like Saturday, he still gains ground. It's almost funny.

Dave Rodman: Funny, unless you're Junior, Gordon or Harvick. Matt needs to win a race, not for his point total, but for his peace of mind -- or actually, so he can satisfy all those goobs who just can't give those guys credit for a season for the ages.

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

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.