Track Smack: Charlotte

Is the controversy surrounding Ryan Newman's win justified?

Marty Smith: Yes. It'd be one thing if it were just one guy voicing suspicion, but when every team on the circuit is frustrated to the point of infuriation, there's merit. Jeff Gordon straight up called them out.

Ryan Smithson: I really don't think so at Kansas, because Newman wasn't the only driver to go a long way on his final fuel run. Rudd went an awfully long way too. I am surprised they are more vocal about Kansas than they were about his win at Dover, which was downright bizarre.

Lee Montgomery: Here we go with another conspiracy theory. Exactly why is there one in this instance? Newman's car has been inspected and inspected and inspected and inspected And NASCAR hasn't found anything. My question is, if Newman is cheating, why hasn't he been caught? Are they smarter than NASCAR? And their teammates?

Dave Rodman: The controversy is justified only in the sense that people seem to have a hard time accepting excellence -- or in the case of competitors, accepting that they could get dusted. So in that respect they have to create a stir. But is it valid? I don't think so -- I agree with Lee on this one.

Marty Smith: But Ryan, Jeremy even wondered how Newman could cut donuts. Jeremy stopped at the same time and said he barely made it. It's just real fishy to have the strongest motors out there, yet still get the best fuel mileage.

Dave Rodman: It's unfortunate to have a controversy, just like it's unfortunate that Matt Kenseth and his team aren't getting legitimate credit for having a season that has the powers-that-are unjustly thinking about changing the point system.

Send a nice letter Ryan Dave Lee

Ryan Smithson: I think people wonder why he has eight wins when 1. Dodge has zero besides Newman 2. His teammate hasn't won 3. The next biggest winner only has four.

Dave Rodman: Winning twice as many races as the rest of the competition isn't that unusual -- especially not when you're as good and as connected as that whole bunch is.

Lee Montgomery: Newman is good, folks, really good. And Matt Borland is brilliant at what he does. To me, that's all we need to say.

Dave Rodman: Hear, hear, Lee. Before I went on vacation, I did a tech piece with Matt and a conversation with Rusty. Reading the lines, and between the lines, told me about all I needed to know why the 12 is excelling and the 2 is struggling a little bit.

Send a mean letter Ryan Dave Lee

Ryan Smithson: Marty, I have to agree with Lee here, we need to wait at least a little bit longer before we rip the guy to shreds.

Marty Smith: Man, Lee is on the wagon. Sure, they're good, but I've got to think there's something to it. If they're legal, by golly, they deserve all the props in the world. But so many times they've pitted at precisely the right time and used those tires to get it done.

Lee Montgomery: I mean, don't you think NASCAR has looked specifically for something wrong with that car for a long time?

Marty Smith: Lee, you know as well as I do that they were cleared from inspection very quickly Sunday. Which means NASCAR had no problem whatsoever with the car.

Lee Montgomery: I didn't think it was that quick.

Marty Smith  Email  Note: Marty has been experiencing problems with his e-mail recently. If you have sent Marty a note and have not received a reply, Marty sends his apologies.

Marty Smith: You were still working on your first story, Lee. That's pretty quick.

Lee Montgomery: Maybe I'm slow. It didn't seem any shorter than usual to me.

Lee Montgomery: But my mind was on other things. Like Game 5. Cubs win! Cubs win!

Ryan Smithson: Man, who cares about the Cubs. Let's look forward to Martinsville.

Marty Smith: Well, you boys think he's 100 percent legit. And I'm a bit suspicious. I mean, when Rusty is so outspoken about his own teammate. Jeez. That speaks volumes.

Lee Montgomery: Rusty's jealous.

Dave Rodman: He knows what it feels like to have the success going on that Ryan has, and sure, that does hurt.

Marty Smith: So is every other driver, Lee. There were some pissed-off people Sunday, man.

	Jeff taught me how to bend my cap in victory lane. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: I guess I wouldn't want to run against two engineers either, especially when one of them can drive a car in any condition.

Ryan Smithson: Tony sure was angry. You have to give him credit for sounding off like that.

Lee Montgomery: I'm not saying it isn't suspicious, but why hasn't he been caught?

Dave Rodman: I don't think there's any way they would risk the PR nightmare cheating would create. And again, they have got a perfect set of tools and the aptitude to use them -- so they should be credited, not questioned.

Marty Smith: Look, I take nothing away from their ability. I've long said they've completely changed the way Winston Cup racing works. Most drivers go by feel. Newman goes by what that computer screen says. And there's no disputing his ability. Like I've said before, the boy has to have trouble walking.

Should Matt Kenseth's fans be concerned?

Ryan Smithson: Not at all. He has such a huge lead that he can get home with lead lap finishes, which they can do in their sleep.

Marty Smith: They didn't do it Sunday, Smithson. Or at Talladega.

Dave Rodman: I would not advise them to lose sleep over it, but concerned? Definitely. the Old Man in the Mountain's face didn't fall off overnight. Started with a crack -- and Matt's got two weeks of fissures in a row.

Marty Smith: Naw. Like I said in Last Lap, I'm as guilty as anyone for assuming the 17 bunch would win one of the most lopsided titles in history. But Matt's still going to win it going away. Just not as "away" as I thought.

Lee Montgomery: The lead is still pretty substantial. The question you have to ask is, Is the last two weeks just a blip? Or is there something going on?

	Spalding, this calls for the old Billy Baroo. Here, Billy, Billy, Billy........Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: That wreck was a fluke, Marty.

Lee Montgomery: I think the last two weeks were flukes, as it were.

Ryan Smithson: But I'll give you this -- that backup wasn't too fleet.

Dave Rodman: I think Matt is certainly the favorite and the title is his to give away, but the last two weeks are truly going to be the test of their championship merit. They had to have some bad luck -- or whatever you want to call it -- eventually. Too bad it occurred at this point in the season -- but I think their 400-plus point lead was an accurate measure of the whipping they had laid on everyone before this.

Lee Montgomery: What I can't understand is -- why the backup wasn't ready to roll? Kenseth said they had to take too much time getting it ready.

Marty Smith: Like I say, he's going to win it. But to call it a fluke, I just don't know. It's racing. It can happen at any time. Look at Bristol, when Matt wrecked Gordon. He could have wrecked himself just as easily, but he's been able to stay out of trouble. The past two weeks, he's gotten the bad luck.

Lee Montgomery: By comparison, Jimmie Johnson's backup was on the track very quickly.

Marty Smith: I'm simply playing Devil's Advocate for the sake of argument. It's over.

Ryan Smithson: When you haven't had to prep a backup all year -- well.

Lee Montgomery: Granted, Kenseth's crew was swapping engines, but he even said the backup wasn't ready.

Dave Rodman: Whatever the issue was with the backup, this will be a true team strength test -- either buckle down and get back at it or point fingers and die.

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Lee Montgomery: I'm going to go out on a limb and say Ryan Newman will win the championship. In 2004.

Marty Smith: That's what everyone said about this year, Lee.

Ryan Smithson: That's pretty easy with a 25-gallon fuel cell, Lee.

Ryan Smithson: Kidding, kidding.

Marty Smith: See: Sports Illustrated NASCAR preview.

Ryan Smithson: If they didn't pick Newman, they picked Busch.

Marty Smith: They picked Newman.

Marty Smith: It's sitting right here on my coffee table.

Ryan Smithson: I picked Tony Raines. Didn't work out. What was I thinking?

Dave Rodman: Don't go there.

Marty Smith: Nice use of the hip lingo, Rodman. You're only six years late.

Ryan Smithson: Don't go where, old man? You getting cocky because you're back from vacation? You nice and rested? I'll bet you're tired already.

Dave Rodman: Actually I had to just stop and think about where the series is going this weekend and the race format. Kenseth will win -- though he won't push his point lead back over 300.

Who is the man to beat at Charlotte?

Marty Smith: Charlotte? Considering Jimmie's effort in May, it's hard to go against him. But, once again for the sake of argument, I'll go with Jamie McMurray.

Marty Smith: He won there last year and has come on like gangbusters of late. Struggled a bit in May, but he has one major thing going for him now that he didn't then -- The Texaco Star.

	No caption needed

Dave Rodman: Jamie does have some good memories to trade on from last year, Marty -- and they have had a run going lately to really put a gorilla grip on the rookie race.

Lee Montgomery: The man to beat at Charlotte is Jimmie Johnson.

Ryan Smithson: Dale Jr. wins his first non-plate race since 2001.

Lee Montgomery: Of course, that means Ryan Newman will win again.

Ryan Smithson: Of course, Lee. Ryan Newman uses one-stop strategy, wins at Charlotte.

Lee Montgomery: With enough caution laps...

Dave Rodman: See the above comment. Matt and Robbie want to win badly, and Lowe's would be the perfect venue. Kurt Busch wrecks Mark Martin coming out of Turn 2 on the last lap -- but they were chasing Kenseth anyway. Yeah, yeah -- I know -- I been away way too long. Sorry.

Lee Montgomery: Boy, Dave, you working for Roush Racing now?

Ryan Smithson: No, the retirement age there is 60.

	Bootie, that's not the Ford guys coming over again, is it?

Dave Rodman: Lee -- did I ever pay you that two-spot I lost to you last time we bet?

Lee Montgomery: Did I win again?

Ryan Smithson: You still discussing the Cubs? Because if so, when did they win the first time?

Dave Rodman: Well, we bet once and doubled it to two -- I seem to recollect I lost, twice.

Lee Montgomery: I'd never bet on the Cubs.

Lee Montgomery: And I believe you did pay me, at Daytona.

Ryan Smithson: Might as well throw the Red Sox in that mix.

Dave Rodman: Cool -- then let's go another buck that there will be three Roush cars in the top-10 at Lowe's.

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

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.