I lost my sponsor! Credit: AP

Track Smack: M'ville

You're Richard Childress. How do you fix the operation?

Lee Montgomery: Well, if you are to believe Kevin Harvick, get some new engine people. I guess the RCR folks were upset at our story about that, so maybe it hit a little close to home. Harvick's slip is puzzling. They were great for a lot of 2003.

Dave Rodman: Man, that's a tough one, since you can't create robots to drive these cars. They've got pretty good stuff -- but the overall packages just don't seem to equal the sum of the parts, somehow.

Marty Smith: Go to the winery. Have a few. Kidding. Look, they're in dire straits right now, but you've got to remember that so was Roush Racing in 2001. Jeff Burton was the only driver to finish in the top 10 for them that year, and now look at them.

Ryan Smithson: When he switched the crews around in 1998, it worked great. And you have to do it sometimes. But I am not sure it would be good to do it this time. Todd Berrier and Kevin Harvick seem to work well together and I would not mess with it at all. Keep Burton on the 30 car if the sponsor returns and find someone new for the 31. Keep the 29 intact because they are just having an off year.

Marty Smith: So I think Childress is OK. They're not that far behind. They just have to regroup a bit. Kevin lit the motor department up hardcore, twice, so you wonder if that's something that really does need to be examined.

Marty Smith: But how "off" has the year been, Smithson? Kevin was in the Chase for the first 20 races or something.

TrackPass Track Smack Audio Will drivers like Dale Jr. retire at 40? 45? 50?

Ryan Smithson: Marty, he hasn't won. No one's won. Harvick's had one top-five since spring Talladega.

Lee Montgomery: Are the RCR teams paired up like the Hendrick guys? Or are they three separate teams?

Marty Smith: They're definitely three separate teams, Lee. Nobody works the teammate deal the way Hendrick does. Junior and Michael are great mates on plate tracks, but that's about the extent of it. Junior has been critical of Michael at times this year elsewhere.

Dave Rodman: I agree and feel like I wouldn't stray too awfully far from home. Kevin did say that if Todd was switched away from his team -- he would be long gone -- so I don't think that's an answer. I think the 31 just needs the right chemistry between driver and crew chief -- and the 30 definitely needs more time to settle in together.

Wait....is this the same hat.......that Sadler wore this spring.....

Ryan Smithson: Marty, Kevin Harvick's not a 15th-place driver. He's not the 15th-best driver in the sport. So this is definitely an off year. Worst year they've had, because even in 2002, they won.

Lee Montgomery: Maybe RCR should try the one-team, three-car approach. It's too tough these days to go in three separate directions?

Marty Smith: Robby Gordon and Jeff Burton aren't 20-whatever place drivers, either, Smithson. So obviously something's got to change.

Dave Rodman: Well, maybe they can't get that total cohesion with the driver group they've got -- so maybe they need to do something to switch that up -- which is a shame because he's got three quality shoes.

Ryan Smithson: Let's go back to the engine deal. RCR engines have never been that powerful, but they rarely break. The bad thing is that Yates/Roush, DEI and Gibbs have hit on both.

Yep.

Marty Smith: I didn't say he was a 15th place driver. I'm merely saying he wasn't as far off earlier this year as he is now. They've slipped as the year has progressed.

Ryan Smithson: Harvick was OK early, but his slump started real early in the year, Marty. A lot earlier than Labonte's slump.

Marty Smith: Burton will be really solid in 2005, with a full year in that car.

Lee Montgomery: I agree. That was a great move by RCR.

Ryan Smithson: Define "really solid."

Marty Smith: Really solid -- couple wins, 12th or so place finish.

Ryan Smithson: I'd agree with that, Marty. 12th is about right.

Dave Rodman: I hope I said back in August that Jeff Burton would be a top-10 team in 2005. I think I said, then -- he would have been if he was in 30 all season this year.

That hat is really gotten a lot of use......

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, I disagree. Burton's done a good job but 10th is exceptionally tough. Not even Kahne and McMurray could crack it within 26 races.

Marty Smith: I don't think the 30 team is Chase material just yet, but they'll be close.

Dave Rodman: Well, they had 26 races to do it and Jeff didn't -- so I stand by my statement.

Marty Smith: I take it back, then. Last thing I want is a similar mindset to you.

Ryan Smithson: I need my $50 you never paid me from 2002.

Marty Smith: I don't owe you anything but a black eye, son.

Ryan Smithson: But you hedged on a bet! That is worth a lot more than a black eye.

Marty Smith: Bring it.

Dave Rodman: Dang LeeMo -- I guess that's why you and I just bet bucks, right?

Ryan Smithson: I'll call Dog, the bounty hunter. Although for the effort, I will suffer a financial loss. He charges a lot. I guess y'all don't watch that show. He does not look like anyone in NASCAR though. Random thought.

Marty Smith: Smithson loves to bring this bet up. I don't even remember what it's for, but I do remember betting him something. Soon enough I'll divulge some info on him and his rear end will be hurting.

Is Jimmie Johnson back to 100 percent now?

Dave Rodman: Doesn't matter if he's back or not. Damage is done. They're building for '05, now.

Ryan Smithson: His main thing now is making sure he leads the series in victories and top-fives.

What is my password? Knausrules? NASCAR48?

Marty Smith: Sure. He wasn't far off when he was finishing badly. He led 35 laps at Talladega. He was fast at Kansas. It's not like he's been dogging it. That's just a stupid question. They chose to go aggressive leading up to the Chase, and it hurt them. They haven't been bad often.

Lee Montgomery: I hate to say it, but when they started experimenting, it shot their season.

Lee Montgomery: Or it sure seems that way.

Marty Smith: He'll be awesome at Martinsville. He'll be awesome at Atlanta, Darlington and Homestead, too. He can win every last one of them.

Ryan Smithson: Momentum's the most important thing. Not track history. Not testing. Momentum.

Lee Montgomery: Yep, it's unfortunate he had a couple bad races.

Dave Rodman: That could be, Ryan -- and even though testing with a substantial point lead seemed wise, considering the lead was going to disappear anyway, the Big Mo wasn't there when they needed it.

Ryan Smithson: I wonder how big a psychological blow it was to have that lead wiped away. I mean, you know it hurt. But how much? That would take the wind out of anyone's sails.

Lee Montgomery: Not as much as blowing up like they did.

Marty Smith: What's funny about this question is it wouldn't even have been asked had Kasey Kahne finished the deal Saturday night. It's a shame people are going to forget how dominant the 9 car was.

Dave Rodman: I don't think that had anything to do with it, because they knew about it. But not having the lead to give up in the first place was critical, I think. That's a big difference.

CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP •   Inside the Chase •   Superstore: Chase driver gear •   Official Standings •   Expanded access to the Chase on TrackPass

Ryan Smithson: That's Charlotte, though, Marty. In 1995, Schrader led 989 laps. But all anyone remembers is Bobby Labonte's first win. Happens every time there.

Lee Montgomery: Oh, gosh, that 9 was awesome. Deserved better.

Ryan Smithson: He handles defeat well. That trait will help him when he's fighting for a title someday.

Marty Smith: Didn't happen in May, Smithson.

Dave Rodman: It certainly is a shame but that's why it's so true that people say no one remembers who finishes second. They darned sure aren't going to remember who led every lap between lap 2 and lap 299 in a 334-lap race, for example.

Marty Smith: Too much work, Rodman.

Dave Rodman: It's one small step to get from being where they are to being a top-10 team -- and then from being a top-10 team to being where the three championship contenders currently are.

What will happen at Martinsville?

Lee Montgomery: Lots of frammin' and bammin'.

Marty Smith: Jeff Gordon wins, but gains little on Kurt and Junior.

Ryan Smithson: Klaus Graf DNQs. Talk about throwing a man into the fire. Hey, Chad Chaffin's in this race. How cool is that?

Dave Rodman: Marty, I think you're right. I think the most critical thing will be whether or not the proverbial second groove comes into being. If not -- the frammin' and bammin' quotient will jump up exponentially.

Lee Montgomery: You know whom I'd love to see win there? Ricky Rudd.

Dave Rodman: Rootin' and gougin' will not begin to describe it. Real Three Stooges material.

Lee Montgomery: And see Fatback with another NFL hat.

Dave Rodman: Did the Redskins lose again last weekend?

Marty Smith: That's one thing most guys have voiced concerns with, Rodman, is the new surface. Especially Gordon. He felt like he and his team had developed a substantial advantage over the competition on the old surface.

Marty Smith: Then again, the old surface cost him huge in the spring. He hit Mount Rushmore.

Nextel Cup Series •   Results •   Standings •   Schedule •   Best 25 Over Last Six Races •   Best Starts •   Best Finishes •   Complete Race Coverage

Ryan Smithson: Well, the good thing is that there's a truck race on Saturday, which will help.

Dave Rodman: Marty, you know they had something going' on when he could get wiped out by a chunk of concrete from the old track -- and still want to race on the old track. They had it mastered, for sure.

Lee Montgomery: The 24 will still be good.

Ryan Smithson: If you wanted a big title swing, you picked the wrong weekend. All three of them will be good. Darlington will be the one.

Dave Rodman: Know who else will be good? Junior and Busch. I think this is going to be another wing-ding. The thing here, though, is if you have a tiff like they did Saturday night -- you will lose laps correcting it. So this is a critical, critical day coming up on Sunday.

Marty Smith: One of the most impressive improvements in the sport in the past few years is Earnhardt's improvement at Martinsville. He couldn't get out of his own way for his first couple years, but now he's dialed in. He worked hard and figured it out.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.