You gotta love Fatback (right). He goes and gets a Cleveland Browns hat after the Browns beat Joe Gibbs' Redskins, but he's got matching sunglasses too. Credit: Autostock

Track Smack: Charlotte

Best Terry Labonte memory?

Marty Smith: My best Terry Labonte memory was at the media tour a couple years back. I asked him if he felt like that wreck he had at Daytona a few years back had hurt him worse than he initially thought, despite the fact that it ended his streak of consecutive races. He crinkled up his eyebrows, thought a minute in typical Labonte fashion. Then, he swiveled his head and looked me right in the eye... I just knew I was going to get lit up. Then he says, "That's a great question. I never thought about that before." They he said. "Naw, I don't think so." It was classic Labonte.

Dave Rodman: Terry is fiery. Just like his brother. I don't care about the "Iceman" tags and everything else. Atlanta. 1984. My first season covering the sport and Terry came into the fall race with a slim lead in the title race. Blew up, or something like that. Went to the garage to interview him, and when he was done with us -- he took his helmet and just drilled it into the ground before he turned and walked into the truck. He didn't need to worry -- everyone else had trouble that day, too -- from what I remember -- but that told me what kind of fire burned in this guy.

Lee Montgomery: We used to always go to Rockingham, and I remember Terry won a race there in the 80s in the Piedmont car. Me and a couple buddies hung around afterward, and he came down from the press box with a glass of champagne. People were bugging him, but he still took time to smile for a picture.

Ryan Smithson: Atlanta in 1996, when he drove the last race with a broken finger and won the title anyway. He wasn't supposed to -- he had qualified way back in the pack but finished in the top five somewhere won the title over Gordon by just a few points. Guys, help me out here -- didn't Terry throw the can of Coke against Earnhardt's hauler after they wrecked in the 1996 The Winston?

Dave Rodman: Ol' country me -- all I could think was, 'Man, you just destroyed a perfectly good helmet!'

EMAIL Lee Dave Ryan MartDawg

Marty Smith: That Atlanta race in '96 was pretty dang cool, when Bobby won the show and Terry won the championship. Bobby was pretty emotional today during the press conference talking about it.

Dave Rodman: Yeah man -- his closing line was priceless. "All I ever wanted to do was to grow up to be like my brother." I was surprised Terry didn't start bawling.

TrackPass Audio Track Smack Audio The boys debate Jason Leffler's second crack at Nextel Cup racing -- can he cut it this time around?

Marty Smith: Rodman, son, how many times must we tell you you're not a redneck? You're from New Hampshire.

Dave Rodman: Yeah Ryan -- and you're from West Virginia -- that's about how far off you are.

Ryan Smithson: About what? The 1996 incident at Charlotte?

Dave Rodman: About where I'm from -- if that's what you're asking about...

Kyle, it says here you have got to be in Charlotte on Tuesday for some sort of press conference. Credit: Autostock

Ryan Smithson: Marty said it, dummy, not me. You're from Massachusetts. But no, you're not a redneck, so quit trying.

Lee Montgomery: Terry will probably go down as the most underrated driver in history.

Marty Smith: Another great Terry story was last year at Darlington. John Singler, Terry's PR man for 200 years, told me every week, 'This is the day, Marty, this is the day.' Finally, Terry won that last Labor Day Southern 500. So, so fitting.

Lee Montgomery: Let's not forget the race at Bristol when Earnhardt turned him around at the checkered flag and drove into Victory Lane with a wrecked car.

Ryan Smithson: Earnhardt waited too long to wreck him Lee, but he remembered how four years later.

Marty Smith: And got booed like crazy, LeeMo. I was there that night. I'd never heard Big E get booed. Then we all ran out to get Terry's reaction, and you know he was pissed off, but he still kept his cool.

Ryan Smithson: He goes: "Does he ever mean do it on purpose?" And that was that.

Lee Montgomery: That was classic.

Marty Smith: Man, it was so cool when they unveiled that 44 car today. That thing was bad to the bone.

Ryan Smithson: Most underrated in history, Lee? Strong statement, coming from you.

Lee Montgomery: Easily. Two championships. How many guys have that? You don't think he's been well documented?

Ryan Smithson: I am having hard time of thinking of a driver who is more underrated. Let me think some more.

Marty Smith: It's tough to say who the most underrated driver in NASCAR history is. Tim Richmond? Alan Kulwicki?

Lee Montgomery: Terry.

Ryan Smithson: Man, this is a tough call.

Dave Rodman: Lee, I think you're not off by much with that estimation. Terry is so cool, calm and classy that he is easy to overlook -- until you're looking at his back bumper at the checkers.

Ryan Smithson: Matt Kenseth is way too underrated. But Ricky Rudd said something interesting. Rudd says Terry is just as good as he's ever been, but with chemistry being more important than ever, it's tough nowadays.

Dave Rodman: Right now you might say Matt is traveling a similar path. "Stealth Champion," or something like that.

Lee Montgomery: Rudd's underrated, too. But anyway.

Nemechek wins by this much on Saturday........

Ryan Smithson: I don't think Terry will go down as the driver who would complain if his power steering went out.

Marty Smith: You know what, no lie. Joe Nemechek is underrated, as far as that goes. The way he drove that 01 into the corner Sunday, in the outside groove, was super impressive. I knew Rudd had him, but Nemechek drove the fire outta that thing.

......and by this much on Sunday.

Dave Rodman: People might realize how good Terry is, when Kyle Busch gets in that car next year.

Ryan Smithson: You know, Marty, Nemechek is like this: He rolls into town once and year and dominates out of nowhere. But I really think he'll have his first two-win season this year. Momentum's a powerful thing.

Marty Smith: Pretty wild that no one's ever swept the Busch and Cup races, and earned the Cup pole in the same weekend until now.

Ryan Smithson: I had no idea. Great stat.

Marty Smith: Stick with me, Statboy. I'll keep you up to date.

Lee Montgomery: Statboy Jr.

Ryan Smithson: I figured Martin would have done it at some point.

Marty Smith: You figured wrong.

Dave Rodman: He's not a big Bud Pole winner.

Or he's not a big pole winner.

Predictions?

Lee Montgomery: Johnson is the obvious choice, but it hasn't been his month. Still, I'll stick with Jimmie.

Ryan Smithson: Jimmie has got to bounce back at some point. Might as well be this weekend.

Jimmie, are you even listening to a word I am saying? Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: Who cares, dude. I'm like Sports Illustrated. Whoever I pick either wrecks or blows up. I had Kenseth and Kahne and Dover, J.J. at Dega and Newman and Kahne last weekend. I give up.

Dave Rodman: You know something -- wouldn't it be a thing if, after the first guy sweeps Cup, Busch and pole in a weekend, it happens again one weekend later?

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, if it took all these years to happen, it won't happen this weekend. But yes, that would be cool.

Dave Rodman: J.J. could do it. Then again, he could choke, choke and start sixth.

Ryan Smithson: Choke and start sixth? Never heard that term before. Is that like a New Hampshire redneck?

Dave Rodman: No -- I got my items out of order: He would start sixth and then choke in the race.

Dave Rodman: It will be interesting to see how he and Chad respond in the Busch race -- or warm up to the Busch car.

Marty Smith: This is a big race for the top three, boys. Huge.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, Kansas killed Gordon. He had to have that.

Marty Smith: Naw. He's not out of it yet by any means, Smithson.

Hope they didn't have to drive themselves to the track.

Ryan Smithson: Montgomery's got me convinced Busch will win the title now.

Dave Rodman: Robby? Yeah, he could use a win -- or a top-five anywhere.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, I don't think he is out of it either, but the 24 had to gain at Kansas. Instead, he led Busch led a lap and beat him by several spots.

Dave Rodman: This is a bona fide three-man race, boys. Even more now than when I forecast it last week.

Lee Montgomery: Listen to Worm, patting himself on the back.

Ryan Smithson: I forecast a Big One-free Talladega, but I got reamed for it.

Marty Smith: Smithson's a regular Ms. Cleo. Way to predict there'd be no Big One, Smithson. Very impressive. You are truly an expert.

Marty Smith: Six races to go. It isn't close to Busch's title, yet.

Ryan Smithson: Isn't Truex's either.

Dave Rodman: Jeff is nowhere near out of it with six to go, Ryan?!?

Ryan Smithson: I didn't say he was, but he needed to close that gap, and he didn't. The fewer races, the harder it'll be for Gordon to pass two guys. Gordon would be fine if it was just Busch, but he's got to pass Junior too. That makes it twice as hard.

Dave Rodman: He's good at every track in the stretch, so far be it from him to fail to pick up points at every stop.

Ryan Smithson: All three of the guys are good at every stop, except for maybe Junior at Homestead. Homestead's a crapshoot. Only second race on that deal, so who knows?

Dave Rodman: Kansas once again proved how it's going to be about impossible for the guys from fourth on back to make much headway against the lead trio -- ESad had a great day and picked up what, 10 points. That isn't going to cut it.