And this was just to avoid an accident in the pits! Credit: AP

Track Smack: Charlotte

Hi guys, just wanted to get your thoughts on Dale Jarrett? They don't seem to be contenders anymore and nobody ever talks about what they are doing to improve.
-- Frank Tarsia, Ore.

Duane Cross: There's a new ride at Six Flags -- it's called "The No. 88," and it's one helluva roller coaster. When crew chief Mike Ford jetted, some wondered if it were the tip of the iceberg; the first man off the Titanic. I don't think that's the case. There's too much talent at Yates. There have been many inconsistent teams this year -- but they will get it turned around and be more like the "Dale of old" before the year's out.

Marty Smith: Well, for starters they got a new crew chief. And honestly I'm not certain Billy Wilburn is the final piece there. He may, in fact, be an interim replacement for Ford. Eddie D'Hondt said they need a guy to be a liaison between the 38 and the 88. They don't need a bunch of rah-rah crap. They need a communicator.

Ryan Smithson: This is a weird deal. Sadler rolls off the truck sometimes and he's unbeatable. Same cars, same motors. Jarrett never rolls off well anymore, rarely qualifies well on a downforce track. He needs some momentum.

Marty Smith: Jarrett has to be pissed about that, Smithson. He can't like running badly when E is running so strong.

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Ryan Smithson: You're right though, Marty, he's got to be miserable.

Ryan Smithson: Do you guys think Jarrett will run a full schedule next year?

Marty Smith: Yes. I do.

Duane Cross: Why wouldn't he? This team isn't a bunch of back-markers; they can compete.

Dave Rodman: His Busch program was supposed to be designed for him to be better in Cup -- and to a degree it's succeeded.

Marty Smith: How is that, Dave? Jarrett has like two top-10s and hasn't sniffed a win.

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Ryan Smithson: I know I've said this before, but it's still true: Jarrett cares deeply about winning. Lord only knows how much this is killing him.

Duane Cross: Ask Shane Hmiel how much Jarrett cares about winning.

Dave Rodman: If he could get back on top -- he might contemplate an exit strategy. But until that occurs -- I don't think he could stand it.

Ryan Smithson: That whole Richmond weekend was a disaster for them. Brand new car, it ran horribly, Ford up and quit. Meanwhile, Sadler had a great weekend.

Marty Smith: Well, you know it's not equipment. Sadler runs too well, too consistently for that, and you know DJ is getting the same piece E is.

"You want us to send a tank over to Kevin Harvick's house?" Credit: Darrell Ingham/Getty Images

Dave Rodman: Some kind of chemical imbalance, about the same as it usually is.

Duane Cross: Top-10s may be what top-fives used to be. The competition is so much better now. Maybe we should look at top-15s, of which Jarrett has seven.

Marty Smith: Great point, Duane. This is the most competitive the Cup Series has ever been. But I'm not sure top-15s will get it done. I'd venture to say not.

Duane Cross: Maybe not, but when you're struggling -- and the competition is so dramatically better -- you have to lower expectations, get your feet back under you and make a bounce from there.

Dave Rodman: That just starts to venture into developing shades of mediocrity -- and I don't think anyone wants to settle for that.

Ryan Smithson: Yeah but when was the last time Jarrett challenged for a win? I can't remember it. I mean, leading late.

Marty Smith: Well, the upcoming schedule will speak volumes, Smithson. D'Hondt said it himself. They're expecting much from the 88 at Pocono and Michigan.

Marty Smith: The question I get from all the 88 fans is 'What happened to the Rainbow Warriors that Yates hired away from Hendrick?' That's the most-asked question among DJ fans.

Not bad, Jeff. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: We haven't really been in a position to measure Jarrett's pit stops well because he's not among the leaders when the stops really count.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, you really think Jarrett will be in that car next year? I am kind of surprised you think so. That being said, it's never pretty when a former champ isn't running well, but Nextel Cup racing is such a vicious cycle. It's so hard to bounce back. It's incredible.

Marty Smith: It'll be on DJ's clock, Smithson. Robert Yates will let him make the decision, and he's not ready to hang it up.

Dave Rodman: UPS has a pretty serious investment in DJ -- they gotta be hoping he turns it around.

Which NASCAR event/track would you recommend for a first-time fan and why?
-- Kelli Chamberlain, Altoona, Iowa

Ryan Smithson: Everyone will say Bristol, which is a no-brainer, but Richmond's just as cool. Especially standing in Turns 1 or 2.

Marty Smith: Bristol in August or Talladega in October. Best two races on the schedule.

Ryan Smithson: My favorite stops, personally, are Talladega in October and Sonoma in June.

We hope the bucket hat doesn't become a trend. Credit: Chris Stanford/Getty Images

Marty Smith: I know, you took Sonoma from me this year, dude.

Duane Cross: Bristol -- pick a race. But under the lights at the bullring is the best spectacle in sports.

Dave Rodman: Gotta be Bristol. If you're trying to set the hook, you couldn't do better. Has got the traffic, crowds. But it's got probably all the amenities they would experience elsewhere.

Ryan Smithson: Talladega is better in October because it won't rain, it's still warm, and the title chase is heating up.

Duane Cross: 'Dega is good -- if you're in the infield. Anywhere else and you're seeing the cars for a nanosecond and then waiting for the freight train to come back around.

Marty Smith: Smithson's right about Richmond, too. From a "fan in the stands" standpoint, it has awesome vantage points all the way around and there's side-by-side all night, and often for the lead, which is unheard of. It's about the party, Duane. Mardi Gras at 750 hp. ... Oops. 450 hp; restrictor plates.

Ryan Smithson: Richmond is great in Turns 1 and 2 because it bottlenecks. The wrecks happen every lap, even if a wall isn't involved. Richmond is also cool because it's in a neighborhood.

Dave Rodman: For a first-timer -- because of the enormity -- Talladega might be a big much.

Ryan Smithson: Kansas is an underrated stop. Hotels are cheap. Traffic is minimal. The weather is good. The food is good. The track is nice and it's still minty-new.

NASCAR eased its rules against shorts on pit road last weekend. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Dave Rodman: It would be cool if you could identify yourself as a first time and you could get seated in a "friendly section" as a first timers. I could see a lot of people getting so sick at a race -- they might not ever come out from in front of their TVs again.

Marty Smith: The finish last year at Kansas was awesome, for sure. Nemechek and Rudd.

Ryan Smithson: No one said Darlington or Daytona. Interesting.

Marty Smith: Darlington and Daytona are cool as heck, just not the coolest.

Duane Cross: No mention of Charlotte, either. ...

Dave Rodman: Unless you're from that area -- Darlington is kinda tough to take. The track and racing are cool -- but beyond that you need to be careful you're not turning people off. I experienced some of that a few weeks ago.

Hey, we all know about the feud between Penske teammates Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman, but how do other teams and teammates get along?
-- Brett T. Gearity, Rutherford, N.J.

Marty Smith: That's all kept pretty hush-hush. Aside from Harvick/Gordon at RCR in years past, most everyone puts on the "We're teammates and we share information and we love each other" face. That's not always true. But for the most part most teammates get along.

Ryan Smithson: Kevin Harvick's new-found friendship with his teammates is the reason he's running like his old self again.

"Whoa, there, Jamie, I almost done fell off." Credit: Getty Images/Jamie Squire

Duane Cross: It takes an open mind on both sides of the fence for teamwork to succeed. Sometimes all parties involved grasp the concept, other times they don't. It's usually the never-gonna-works that get the attention.

Duane Cross: No one talks about the Roush guys, and look how well they get along.

Ryan Smithson: The Ganassi guys work real well together, which will make the upcoming shapeup very interesting.

Marty Smith: DJ and Elliott Sadler are inseparable. Gordon and Johnson are tight.

Dave Rodman: Even when they squabble -- the get right with each other again pretty quickly -- Duane, remember All-Star race 2004?

Duane Cross: The controversial stories are the ones that get the eyeballs.

Dave Rodman: Or Michigan 2004 with Mark and Greg?

Duane Cross: Yep, Dave. Those are blips on the radar; once the race is over, its discussed, hashed out and time to move on to the next challenge.

Predictions for the 600?

Marty Smith: Kahne. They have momentum, and don't forget how awesome the 9 was last fall at Charlotte before he blew that right front tire.

Ryan Smithson: I predict it will be a pretty boring race. Those guys couldn't pass last Saturday. At all.

Marty Smith: Different car and different track, I know, but I think he'll be a serious player.

Marty Smith: Yeah, Smithson, I said it may take seven hours.

Duane Cross: Jeff Gordon ... or Greg Biffle -- the guy is on a roll and he'll continue to run up front. It'll be a Roush or Hendrick car (what's new?) in Victory Lane -- at midnight!

"Cameras! Is my bill properly bent?" Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: Nah, won't be that many cautions, Marty! Especially after everyone gets spread out.

Marty Smith: I hope not, son.

Ryan Smithson: Especially after everyone gets spread out.

Dave Rodman: I think the Dodges have been bringing themselves around -- so how about Jeremy Mayfield? Failing that -- another Roush car is due -- and Kurt Busch or Matt Kenseth more than anyone.

Dave Rodman: Since Kurt runs better, more often than Matt -- if it ain't a Dodge -- it'll be a Busch.

Ryan Smithson: Man, I don't like that new surface. I know it smoothed the bumps but Saturday night was just plain boring.

Duane Cross: Looked wet, too.

Ryan Smithson: I miss the Humpy Bump already.

Marty Smith: It'll be a team that's adept at adjusting the car. This year adjustments throughout the race are so crucial, and with the day/night dynamic in the 600 it'll be all the more important.

Marty Smith: It didn't smooth out the bumps much, Smithson.

Ryan Smithson: It'll make Hendrick unbeatable probably.

Marty Smith: They were still bouncing like Pam's ... never mind.

Duane Cross: 600 miles ... it hurts just looking at that number.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.