Track Smack: Fontana

Our driver guest today is Brendan Gaughan, who is fresh off his best finish of the year. Our fan is Heather Williams, a Kevin Harvick fan from Iowa.

Brendan, glad to have you, because you're a good man to ask on this one. What are the pros and cons of a green-white-checkered rule in the Nextel Cup Series?

Brendan Gaughan: There are many pros and cons to it. The trucks run it very successfully, but when you put the amount of effort and planning as a crew chief to get to the finish line on fuel with the amount of pressure the crew chiefs are under, the scheduled distance has to prevail.

Ryan Smithson: The cons is that you'd see guys running out of gas occasionally, but really, I can't remember too many times that has happened in the Truck Series. I hope this becomes a rule soon in Nextel Cup.

Marty Smith: The only pro is that fans will be content with the winner due to it being a green-flag finish. But there are so many cons, especially on plate tracks. Guys will fight like hell for position, root, gouge, and block. It's just entirely too dangerous at Daytona and Talladega to put guys in that position.

Lee Montgomery: I'd like to see it, too, mainly because the fans want to see it. I've always wondered why they didn't have it in Cup since the beginning of time, but maybe it's time to change it.

Heather Williams: We need to have a green-white-checkered rule in Nextel Cup because the fans deserve a good finish to an already great race. If the only con is that it guys would run out of fuel then that would get rid of the fuel mileage races.

Dave Rodman: Well, I think the best thing they could have hoped for at Talladega was a one-lap finish -- and I have no idea how close they were to figuring out the running order. Nobody cuts them any slack for that. But if they were going to have a green-white-checkered rule -- that's what it would be, there couldn't be any exceptions, I wouldn't think.

Brendan Gaughan: Ryan, I ran out of gas in 4th place at Daytona in 2003 on Lap 104.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, you make a point that wasn't brought up too much yesterday, I am not sure NASCAR wanted a one-lap shootout! Imagine the flying cars.

Brendan Gaughan: The fans are the ones that cost that finish; we may have been able to go green. Junior fans need to settle down a little bit. He can't win all of them.

Send a mean letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Lee Montgomery: I used your quote on that, Brendan. Thanks, dude.

Brendan Gaughan: Fuel mileage is part of racing, Heather.

Lee Montgomery: NASCAR wanted no part of a one-lap race.

Heather Williams: Talladega is not a safe place to have a one-lap shootout.

Ryan Smithson: Brendan, did you think they were going to have a one-lap finish?

Send a nice letter Marty Ryan Dave Lee

Brendan Gaughan: That also is an issue; they still were trying to put everybody in the right order.

Ryan Smithson: Heather, were the people in your house pretty angry?

Heather Williams: My 15-year-old sister was going nuts yesterday when Dale Jr. didn't win.

Marty Smith: That said, it's a shame that a predetermined termination lap (183) disallowed the red flag. I think Sunday's situation warranted it. Vickers' wreck didn't' wad up a bunch of cars.

Heather Williams: I was mad that Jeff Gordon won because I'm not a fan of his, and thanks to the ending, I can't get my brother-in-law to start bragging about how Junior didn't win.

AUDIO CLIPS Too lazy to read Track Smack? Listen to the audio version, where we debate about the fan behavior (or lack thereof) at Talladega. 11 minutes, 5 seconds / Listen

Dave Rodman: As much as the cast of characters is the "same," this sport is always changing, especially now.

Lee Montgomery: The thing I like is, NASCAR stuck by the rules. Finally.

Marty Smith: Well, they stuck to the rules last week, too, Lee. Which was also a relief.

Dave Rodman: They have not hesitated to run shootout finishes at Daytona and Talladega before -- sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they pile 'em up.

Lee Montgomery: Two weeks in a row. Is that a shock?

Brendan Gaughan: You know that's what I really dislike about the media and fans some days, you forced NASCAR to come up with the last red flag lap rule, and now, you whine about it!

Heather Williams: I think if NASCAR would have ruled in favor of Junior then there would have been a big outcry from fans because the ones who dislike Junior would be saying that they favor him too much.

	Man, either this window is too small, or I gotta start walking when I play golf.

Ryan Smithson: It's a lose-lose situation, Heather. I mean, you'll never please anyone.

Heather Williams: Exactly.

Marty Smith: As I recall, there was a big outcry from fans anyway, Heather.

Lee Montgomery: I'm with you Brendan. Let's make up our minds. Do we want a shootout and take a chance on a big wreck?

Dave Rodman: I think all anyone was asking was to see the definitive proof. From what I read in the paper this morning, NASCAR showed Tony Eury the proof and he was satisfied.

Lee Montgomery: Or leave it alone.

Marty Smith: Who whined, Gaughan?

Brendan Gaughan: NASCAR followed their rule. That is what is right.

	Our only photo of Eric McClure Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: If that's the truth, then let's go to California.

Lee Montgomery: Amen. End of story.

Heather Williams: If there had been a restart Sunday, I honestly don't think Junior could have pulled it off. He said he was relaxed on restarts and so maybe I would have seen my boy Harvick win instead of Gordon.

Lee Montgomery: If it had been anyone but Junior next to Gordon, would we be talking about this?

Why all the aggressiveness from Tony Stewart this year?

Lee Montgomery: That'd be a good question for Tony. Can we get him in Smack?

Marty Smith: That's what happens when the National Enquirer says you're somewhere you weren't.

Dave Rodman: I can't swear to the fact that for some reason, we're not just seeing more of it this year.

Heather Williams: I have no idea what's up with Tony this season, but someone needs to calm him down.

Brendan Gaughan: I don't think he has been any different than what I have seen on TV in the past, he is aggressive, so what?

Ryan Smithson: I don't want to totally punt, but let me defend Tony here. It didn't look like he even hit Kurt that hard, and man, everyone was beating and banging. He was right -- it was just Talladega.

	See, even Kurt Busch is not as tall as Wonder Woman, and Kurt's pretty tall. Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: You'd have to ask dozens of people -- drivers and crewmen mostly -- if the behavior he's been caught at this year, is typical or magnified from what it's been in the past?

Lee Montgomery: Has Tony been aggressive this year? Yes. Is it over-aggressive? I'd have to say no.

Ryan Smithson: Tony, if you're reading, you're welcome on Smack anytime, just give Marty or Lee a call.

Lee Montgomery: Besides, if Tony is being too aggressive, wouldn't the drivers handle that, Brendan?

Heather Williams: I don't know who interviewed Kurt first, but did anyone see that on one channel Kurt was blaming Tony all the way and the next channel, he was saying he had no idea what happened.

Marty Smith: Why is everyone on Stewart's ass? Is he the only guy dumping people this year? Everyone's aggressive. I think this is a useless question.

Dave Rodman: That's a weak excuse Ryan. I blame Tony 55 percent, Kurt's spotter 40 percent and Kurt five percent -- more if he did not have an A-post mirror to see Tony coming.

Ryan Smithson: I don't know, Dave, I guess I don't have a good retort for ya, but you typically bash Tony anyway, I just don't see anything major.

Brendan Gaughan: I agree with Lee.

Marty Smith: I know NASCAR came on the radio at Darlington to calm him down, but if it were serious problem wouldn't another driver say or do something?

	Translating

Lee Montgomery: I mean, if Busch has a problem with Tony, punt him next week. If not, fans should move on.

Heather Williams: I can't say I have a big problem with Stewart because quite frankly he still brings in good finishes which is good news for my fantasy teams.

Dave Rodman: I hope he gets some kind of sanction for his post-checkered move.

Predictions for Fontana?

Heather Williams: I'm going to have to say Newman. It's time for him to start winning this season.

Ryan Smithson: I think everyone is going to gunning for the 48.

Lee Montgomery: I think I've been closest the last three weeks, so I'm feeling the pressure.

Dega Predictions  No one picked the winner again. But man, Marty looked like he broke through.  Marty picked Dale Jr. (2nd)  Ryan picked Wallace (33rd)  Lee picked McMurray (9th)

Marty Smith: Kurt Busch is your winner.

Dave Rodman: Four-car scrap coming to the line: 48-8-12-2.

Marty Smith: You boys have to remember who's been fast on 1.5-milers this year -- Ford and Dodge.

Lee Montgomery: Why not Matt Kenseth? He should've won there a couple years ago.

Heather Williams: If it won't be Newman, then how about a California driver such as Harvick. He needs to win.

Ryan Smithson: You think he's going to bounce back, Marty? You don't believe in momentum? Might take him a couple weeks to recover.

Marty Smith: He won Cali and Michigan last year, Smithson, so I think he'll be fine. New tire might play with him a bit, though.

Dave Rodman: After their no-pit gaffe last week I can't believe how rosy J.J. and Chad came up at 'Dega -- so they get the nod.

Ryan Smithson: Heather, I know you're a big Harvick fan, but he doesn't seem Californian to me. He's got a lot of North Carolinian in him.

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Marty Smith: He married one, Smithson.

Ryan Smithson: Maybe it's because he married a North Carolinian.

Ryan Smithson: Well, you beat me to it, MartDawg.

Heather Williams: I know, but he is from there. He is just a big goober. Even his wife says that.

Marty Smith: Fans are furious about Sunday's finish. My Blackberry hasn't stopped buzzing since it ended.

Lee Montgomery: Brendan, do you like California?

Marty Smith: Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle?

Brendan Gaughan: I love California.

Heather Williams: If I had to money on it, Newman will win.

Brendan Gaughan: Newman will be tough as always, but the Kodak boys are coming!

Be on Smack  We've gotten tremendous response to our effort to include the fans in Track Smack. Keep those letters coming. And it helps tremendously if you have an AOL account. Want to be in Track Smack? Email us. Then email us again.

Lee Montgomery: Did you guys test out there?

Marty Smith: What's the closest track we've run this year to Calif? Texas? 1.5-miles/2-miles? Look for the 9 to be strong, too. Remember, Kahne had a rocket at Texas.

Brendan Gaughan: Ryan tested there and that helps us out a ton. The whole Penske team is probably going to do fairly well, but you are right Kasey should be very good also

Heather Williams: Brendan you would be awesome to win. I picked you for rookie of the year!

Brendan Gaughan: The last four races, we have gotten better each week, so we are looking to continue that trend.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.