Track Smack: Talladega

Dave Rodman is on vacation. Be sure to flood his email box with plenty of advertisements. He likes the ones where your debt is consolidated into one easy monthly payment.

What do y'all think of the first test of the new yellow-flag rule?

Marty Smith: As I said yesterday in Last Lap, only in the inexplicable realm of NASCAR can a rule be instituted and 24 hours later determine the outcome of an event. It needs work, for sure, but there's no question it's a good start. Racing back to the yellow has gotten entirely too dangerous. But, it definitely needs work.

Ryan Smithson: First, it was hilarious that Newman won after mildly criticizing it. That's the racing gods for you. But it's a good idea and it worked well. Newman won't fall a lap down very often -- this was a freak thing. But very funny.

Lee Montgomery: The idea behind it is great: no racing back to the yellow. I love that. Took 'em long enough. Giving one guy a lap back isn't such a hot idea, I don't think. It's a freebie.

Marty Smith: What I don't understand is how they determine giving that first guy a lap back. I mean, he could be on the verge of going two laps down, and end up on the lead lap! That sucks!

Lee Montgomery: I do know one thing. Newman was extraordinarily lucky not to have fallen two laps down. He wouldn't have made that up. This new deal, if you get two or more laps back, you're done. Toast. Over. Out. Finished.

Send a nice letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Ryan Smithson: Yeah, no more Robby Gordon making up three laps at RIR. I think Kenseth finished second last year at Martinsville despite being 2-3 laps down as well.

Lee Montgomery: Martin lost two laps early on and had no chance of making them up. The deal is, the cars one lap down line up first, which means cars two or more laps down have to get through the one-lap down cars before trying to pass the leader. Ah, well, you can't have it both ways.

Send a mean letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Marty Smith: I agree with NASCAR's premise -- we can't have situations like DJ had to experience at New Hampshire. That's just too dangerous. But I think it makes more sense to reward the car or cars close to the leader when the caution flies. That's who would benefit in the old scenario anyway.

Lee Montgomery: Frankly, I don't think anyone should get a lap back, unless you truly earn it, by passing the leader.

Ryan Smithson: It's not like they don't have the technology to make that happen, Marty.

Lee Montgomery: I tell you what, though, they are going to have their hands full at Talladega.

	Where is my team?! Don't they know today is Saturday?

Marty Smith: I know, Ryan. But NASCAR is slow to utilize the mass technology at its disposal.

Ryan Smithson: They can handle it. This isn't 1998. They aren't hand-scoring it.

Lee Montgomery: Keeping up with 43 cars at Dover is one thing, but when they're all in a wad -- forget it.

Ryan Smithson: Is the lead singer from Evanescence hot? I can't tell from their videos.

Marty Smith: No.

	I got a lap back, and a trophy!

Ryan Smithson: They are from Arkansas, I think, which is hilarious, because I doubt Mark Martin is a big fan of them.

Ryan Smithson: Are they from Arkansas, Marty? Little Rock, I think.

Marty Smith: They are. Wonder why they don't have accents like mine.

Lee Montgomery: I wish I knew what you guys were talking about. Better yet, I wished I cared.

Marty Smith: Lord, Lee. You sound like Rodman.

Marty Smith: Way to pick up the geriatric slack this week, bro.

Lee Montgomery: No problem. I am the oldest one now. Old age and treachery will get 'em every time.

Will Jeremy Mayfield be back for a third season with Evernham?

Marty Smith: He dang sure should be. Jeremy's been driving the wheels off that car in the past couple of months and will win before the year is out.

	The many faces of Brian Vickers.....

Ryan Smithson: It depends whether Mayfield keeps up this hot streak. I'll tell you, you won't find a streakier driver than Jeremy Mayfield. This year, anyway. When the man is hot, he's hot. He's a good plate driver, and he's got some 1.5 milers coming up.

Lee Montgomery: You know, I've always liked Jeremy. He's got an engaging personality and is a very good driver. I don't understand why there's any issue with this.

Lee Montgomery: I think there are sponsorship issues going on that we don't know about.

Marty Smith: That seemed to be the undercurrent during his post race interview Sunday, didn't it Lee?

Marty Smith: He didn't want to up and say it, but you could tell.

Lee Montgomery: Yeah, sounds like his and Evernham's hands are tied. Maybe Dodge wants to cut back somehow or another.

Ryan Smithson: If he keeps it up, they'll come around. They have to.

Lee Montgomery: Not if they don't have the money. Or rather, not if they don't want to spend the money.

Marty Smith: He drove Newman so clean. I was standing in Turn 4, waiting for Junior to come out of the care center, during that final restart. He could have turned Ryan every time, but didn't.

Ryan Smithson: Mayfield will always have a good somewhere though. Not too many drivers know a car as well as he does. That is what I like about Jeremy. You know he put in the wrench time for so many years, you know?

Marty Smith: Can you imagine how bad he wanted it? That's his old team, you know.

Lee Montgomery: That was an awesome race, by the way. Those two guys were really hammering it. Kind of shows how good Newman is. I think Jeremy's car was better, but Ryan held him off.

Ryan Smithson: Since it was Penske, he should have turned him, Marty. That was a bitter divorce back in Oct. 2001.

Marty Smith: Kansas. I'll never forget it.

Ryan Smithson: When Jeremy said they brought the old car. He was fed up.

Marty Smith: He's a shoe, though. That can't be disputed. And like Lee said, he's so engaging. Calls me Hollywood.

Lee Montgomery: he and Kenny Francis seem to have things going. Kenny, the world's shortest crew chief.

Ryan Smithson: How short is he? 5'5?

Lee Montgomery: No idea, but he knows his stuff.

Ryan Smithson: Mike Ford ain't short.

Marty Smith: Frankie Stoddard pretty small, too, boys.

Ryan Smithson: I think Steve Addington is the tallest crew chief. But that is just my estimation.

Who will win Talladega?

Lee Montgomery: The easy pick is Junior. Therefore, I will say Kevin Harvick.

Ryan Smithson: I am going to go with Waltrip, simply because he's had a rough five weeks. He'll be due.

Marty Smith: Obviously, it's tough to go against Junior. Four straight. But I'll do it anyway, just for the sake of going against the grain. I'll take the 48. JJ was vying for the lead in the spring before he got shuffled out and spun around.

Lee Montgomery: And, please, no one email me about my picks. I put about five seconds of thought into it.

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

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.