Track Smack: Chicagoland

Jason Leffler was penalized for rough driving in the Daytona Busch race. Do you agree, or was it just another NASCAR inconsistency?

Lee Montgomery: If he should have gotten penalized for anything, it should have been punting Michael Waltrip. But that was just a mistake. The Junior deal, that was a dumb move, but how many times have we seen blocking on the last lap? Every race?

Marty Smith: First of all, no, I do not agree. He didn't intentionally put Junior in the fence. Secondly, NASCAR's inconsistency is out of control and must be remedied. I wish I had a nickel for every time I've written that in the past two months.

Dave Rodman: It's inconsistency for sure, I believe. I don't think NASCAR should get involved to the point that they are legislating something every time someone deviates off dead center in their line. It was just racing, in both cases.

Lee Montgomery: Absolutely. None of it made any sense to me.

Dave Rodman: Now, everyone has to think of the consequences before they make a racing move. That's ridiculous. Let 'em race.

Lee Montgomery: Some have suggested if the roles were reversed, nothing would have happened to Junior.

Marty Smith: Amen, LeeMo. Blocking is part of plate racing. Every driver does it -- including Junior. And I agree with you, too, Davey. NASCAR is so terrified of screwing up that they're overanalyzing. They can't win, poor fellas.

Dave Rodman: Lee, if I said I agreed with that, I would join the conspiracy theorist camp, which I would hate. But I thought it was interesting that Mike Wallace said what Jason did was a "patented Dale Earnhardt Jr. move -- he's like a snake on the racetrack."

	"I hear Junior's working at KFC now." Credit: Autostock

Lee Montgomery: At least nothing went wrong in the Cup race.

Marty Smith: Did NASCAR punish Leffler because it was Junior he wrecked? You have to wonder.

Dave Rodman: Well, I honestly thought he got dinged because he was involved in two incidents in about a half-lap of racing.

Lee Montgomery: Perhaps. But Marty is right. Makes you wonder.

Marty Smith: I know this much: Junior had a run and was hell-bent to get to the front. Jason did what anyone would have done in that situation -- tried to fend off the best plate racer out there -- and ended up in the fence.

Dave Rodman: But the two incidents were totally separate -- and innocent might be too naive a word to use, but doggone it -- look at what Brian Vickers said Saturday night, about what he started to learn at Talladega...

Lee Montgomery: Which was?

Send a nice letter Marty Dave Lee

Dave Rodman: He said he had learned to get to the front at Talladega, and once he got there, "how to block and stay there." You're right, Dawg, for better or worse, blocking is just part of plate racing.

Marty Smith: I honestly don't think that was worthy of the punishment he received.

Lee Montgomery: We all agree!

Dave Rodman: He lost the race, which was penalty enough.

Marty Smith: Write it down, LeeMo. It's a first.

Lee Montgomery: Before we go any further, I want to apologize for something I wrote Saturday night. Matt Kenseth did not drill Ward Burton, as I said. I hurriedly looked at the TV and got it wrong before I went to the care center and garage.

Marty Smith: We've all been there, Lee. Even drivers get pissed and go off before they see a replay, and sometimes cite things incorrectly. Let it roll off, brother.

Dave Rodman: You are a big man to admit that -- but it happens, buddy. If there is an accident and you ask 10 people, as you know, you might get 11 versions of what happened.

With nine races to go until the Chase for the Nextel Cup begins, who is getting nervous?

Dave Rodman: A bunch of people. Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin for starters. Even Newman and Harvick need to be on pins and needles because they're in that "transfer area..."

Lee Montgomery: I think anyone outside the top five is probably a little bit nervous. A lot can happen in nine races, so those guys aren't secure yet.

	"No one asked me if I wanted chicken." Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: I'll start with Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett, in 14th and 15th, respectively. They're within 180 points of the top 10, so a run of good finishes could get them in. Anyone outside that is out, and if Mark and DJ want to qualify, they need to get on it in a hurry.

Dave Rodman: Realistically, I think in nine races you are only gonna get a 200-point swing, max. So if you look at it that way, Rusty, Michael and the rest of that gang are already cooked unless they get unrealistically on fire.

Lee Montgomery: It was interesting to hear Michael Waltrip talk about this very subject at Daytona. He said he had crunched the numbers, and it was going to be difficult for him to make it. Mikey is 273 out of 10th right now.

Dave Rodman: Everyone in the top 10 now, in effect, just has to maintain a top-10 pace and they are in pretty good shape; though obviously that's easier said than done.

Lee Montgomery: It's going to be almost impossible for anyone 20th on down to make it. Sterling is 20th, 305 out of 10th. He's got to crawl over some good people to get in.

Marty Smith: He's out, Lee. There's no way Waltrip will qualify for the Chase. 273 are entirely too many points to have to make up with so little time remaining. I think anyone outside 180 points is finished.

Dave Rodman: Marty, you hit it on the head. But I think the critical thing now is, we're far enough into the season that, as you know, guys that are in a rhythm of running good, aren't likely to come unglued now. So it's gonna be hard for anyone to make up a lot of ground.

Send a mean letter Marty Dave Lee

Lee Montgomery: Nothing's impossible, but it almost is.

Marty Smith: You know who needs to thank his lucky stars, is Tony Stewart. If he'd been suspended, he'd be done.

Dave Rodman: Well, the danger for Tony, I think, would've been how they bounced back from getting sat down. But as we know, that's moot, so he's locked in at this point...

Marty Smith: He got to race, and raced awfully well. It's a 150-point difference, essentially.

Lee Montgomery: I think we all hope he can stay out of trouble for the rest of the year.

Dave Rodman: You know, at the beginning of the year, I was dead-set against this "Chase" concept. But now, the more I think about it, having two climaxes to the season is pretty danged interesting.

Lee Montgomery: Gives us more to write about.

Marty Smith: Rest assured, anyone who says it's competition over entertainment is insane. It's 110 percent for entertainment purposes, and the desire to keep up with the NFL, come September.

Dave Rodman: There will be story lines out the wazoo to write about -- without even considering what sponsors might reconsider their allegiances depending on how their teams do in terms of the Chase.

Marty Smith: You're right, Rodzilla. Thing is, guys like Jimmie Johnson -- the points leader, no less -- have been very critical of the format.

Dave Rodman: Yup -- but Marty, think about it. When there's a wreck, who's critical? The guy sitting in the garage wrecked. Jimmie stands to lose as much as a 200- or 300-point lead. I wouldn't be thrilled about giving up that kind of point lead, either -- but what they have to focus on is doing the same exact things that got them that lead, in the final 10 races.

Marty Smith: Obviously, Dave. The 10th-place driver will have no qualms.

Dave Rodman: The 10th-place man will be inside out thrilled. And probably pretty darned bloodthirsty, too. From having no shot to being virtually dead even again, is earmarked to fire anyone up.

Marty Smith: Easier said than done, dude, especially when you consider how quickly things can go awry. Talladega will be interesting.

Dave Rodman: Hell, before we even get there, Watkins Glen and Bristol will be interesting.

Lee Montgomery: Every race will be interesting. I think NASCAR is getting what it wanted.

Dave Rodman: But you're right. Talladega is the big wild card. Man, the momentum card is going to be big those last 10. And you're right: Tony and Zip roll through the stretch pretty well.

Marty Smith: That's one reason Smoke's so fortunate to have raced last weekend. He's stronger'n nine rows of wild onions in the season's second half. This format is made for guys like him.

Lee Montgomery: Funny, but I used to love the smell of wild onions when I cut grass as a kid.

Marty Smith: I hated it.

Dave Rodman: Well, strong they is, 'nuff said. We oughta throw some in Tony's car to get him fired up.

Predictions for Chicago?

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Marty Smith: Before we start, boys -- FACE. I picked JG to win the Pepsi 400.

Lee Montgomery: I think we're three in a row now for picking winners.

Dave Rodman: Well, I missed the conclave last week, but JG was the lead man on my fantasy team.

Lee Montgomery: He's been stronger than those wild onions. He is a blown engine away from being six-for-six, really.

Marty Smith: For Chicago, I'll take Jimmie. They can do no wrong. Plus, it's Chad Knaus' home track, so he's going to want to get 'er done back in the code.

Dave Rodman: I am thinking Kevin Harvick is due to win, needs to win to secure his spot in the top 10 a little better. So I am gonna go with the 29 bunch.

Lee Montgomery: No one is taking Jeff? Then I won't either. Ryan Newman repeats.

Dave Rodman: Dark horse, Elliott Sadler. They need to get back going again, ditto for the reasons Harvick does. I think the reason for that, Lee, is that he's the proverbial "given" -- so we gotta try to go out on a limb and prove we halfway know something.

Lee Montgomery: I think my fantasy team won last weekend, if that means anything. Which it doesn't, of course.

Dave Rodman: Well, LeeMo, it did last weekend -- congrats. But this is just like golf. You're only as good as your last stroke, so pick 'em up for Chi-town.

Marty Smith: I haven't updated my fantasy team since, oh, Rockingham-ish.

Dave Rodman: Sometimes I think this whole NASCAR experience is nothing but fantasyland.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.COM. The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.