Open up -- and say, 'Mmm, mmm good!'

Track Smack: Dover

By the end of June, how many driver changes do you see happening?

Dave Rodman: Realistically, I don't see anything happening -- but Nextel Cup racing is about the farthest thing from realistic you have ever seen. So could there be a couple of changes in the next four weeks? For the drivers' sake, I hope not -- but there could be.

Ryan Smithson: After the whole Jason Leffler debacle, you can bet something has got to happen there. Gibbs says he is safe, and I know from sources that FedEx has dumped so much into that program around Leffler that it would be hard to make a switch.

Marty Smith: Impossible question, but I'd venture to say none. Leffler's the only real player in the rumor mill, and Gibbs swears he's solid. But man, that rumor won't subside. We keep hearing rumblings about Casey Mears at Ganassi, too, and Chip pulled no punches last week on SPEED. He's looking to improve his program.

Duane Cross: Very few, if any -- certainly fewer than a lot of the fans think should happen. It has become such a win-right-now proposition, but long term is what needs to be some team's focus, like the No. 11 car.

Dave Rodman: J.D. has had to go to bat for him, what -- twice in a month. But that's OK. I think something is going to happen there -- maybe a personnel "reassignment" -- but it's nice to see Jason is safe.

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Ryan Smithson: Marty, a friend of mine back home took a tour of Gibbs' shop last week and she says the tour guide told them he was out soon. Comforting!

Marty Smith: I was just looking at Jeff Gordon's career stats. He had 21 DNFs in his first two years. Eleven as a rookie. By today's standards, he may never have made it to Year 2.

Dave Rodman: Team swap! Team swap! B-Lab went so good as a FedEx man -- why don't they switch programs?

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Ryan Smithson: Yeah, but Marty, Jeff won a 125-mile race as a rookie.

Marty Smith: It's still a ton of killed racecars, Smithson.

Dave Rodman: You're exactly right, Marty. A different era, that was. More patience. For that, I'd say it was a better time.

Marty Smith: Speaking of, Smithson, a nice young lady who says she was your friend introduced herself to me at Charlotte. She was quite nice.

Duane Cross: Where were you, Marty -- a strip club?

Marty Smith: Ha! No, standing outside Kurt Busch's transporter after he wrecked.

McMurray got the high-fives from Anna Kournikova ...

Ryan Smithson: I don't think a driver change will magically make the 11 run much better.

Marty Smith: That's what J.D. says, Smithson. He says it's a new team, still working out communication between the driver and crew. I know the guy, and feel like he's truly behind Leffler.

Dave Rodman: If you make a commitment to sign someone, you've gotta see something. And your vision shouldn't get clouded in three months -- or even six or seven months.

... while Sadler got to be the ball boy. Credit: CIA Stock Photos

Ryan Smithson: I know one thing, boys: this promises to be a Silly Season that comes around maybe once in 10 years.

Duane Cross: Yep, there needs to be much more patience as far as owners, crew chiefs, drivers go. It's gotten to be that every week there's another guy tossed on the rumor mill -- just to see how fast it'll spin.

Marty Smith: But, like Rodman said, don't ever expect anything in this deal because the opposite will happen.

Ryan Smithson: One good thing for Leffler is that he and J.D. are friends.

Dave Rodman: I don't know. If you watched Chip Ganassi Sunday night, you had to think he was thinking about dropping the hammer right now -- on something or someone. You had to feel for him ...

Ryan Smithson: He hasn't re-signed Mears yet.

Marty Smith: Greg Biffle told me Sunday he was courted by all but three teams, and that was to replace young drivers.

"Dude, you were the ballboy?" Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Ryan Smithson: When I read that, Marty, I thought of Mears and Vickers.

Marty Smith: There are some teams looking to make changes, no doubt. But June is early.

Duane Cross: How about Chip saying that there will be driver changes, but he doesn't know which ones -- that opened up a can of worms. McMurray? Mears? Marlin?

Dave Rodman: I think, I hate to say, that both he and Sterling need to do something remarkable from here on out -- or less time than that -- to secure a seat for 2006.

Marty Smith: From what I hear in the garage, Stremme is locked and loaded in the 40.

Ryan Smithson: Stremme's had a very good season this year, which has helped a lot, but Ganassi said last spring that he was brining Stremme to Cup in 2006. And don't be shocked if it's 2005.

Duane Cross: Vickers went from getting just thismuch more security, to 'same ole Vickers' in the blink of an eye Sunday. In a nutshell, that sums up how fickle this sport is.

In an attempt to impress Miss Kournikova, McMurray acts as if his shouders were broader than they actually are. Credit: AP

Dave Rodman: Well Duane, he kinda blew his own leg off Sunday night. Not pretty.

B. Duane Cross: Exactly -- and that's where the frustration comes in that leads to changes so quickly.

Marty Smith: He had the car to beat, for certain, just got a lil' impatient, I guess.

Ryan Smithson: I know everyone is on Brian pretty hard, but I can almost understand his frustration. He had a real shot at win and that stupid caution flies. I'd have run over people too to get back to the front. He needs a win bad.

Ryan Smithson: Driver changes happen a lot quicker when your teammates win races.

Dave Rodman: The mental focus you need is just incredible. Look at the difference in Biff now that he's learned that.

Dave Rodman: You get to this level, everyone knows you can do it. You can't let frustration and impatience overcome getting it done.

Do you think its possible for two smaller NASCAR teams such as the Wood Brothers and Petty Enterprises to merge into one united entity?

Dave Rodman: Those two specifically? No. I think the Pettys have too much invested in Dodge tooling. And the Woods ain't leaving Ford.

Ryan Smithson: I am sure y'all will say no, but then again, who would have thought Yates and Roush would merge their motor program?

Having just a little too much fun. Credit: AP

Marty Smith: That'd be virtually impossible, considering they run different makes.

Dave Rodman: But the concept is certainly sound.

Ryan Smithson: But let's say BAM and Petty wanted to merge.

Dave Rodman: In fact, you could make a pretty strong argument that it is darn near imperative.

Marty Smith: Speaking of, Smithson, that may be the most underrated development of the 2005 season -- just how fruitful that union has proven to be.

Duane Cross: Yeah, it's possible -- but not very likely. Small teams may form alliances, but it would be to share info, engines, etc. -- not as a "merge" per se.

Marty Smith: Well, with the way the superteams are dominating, they need to find a way to garner more information.

Ryan Smithson: The Yates/Roush engine deal? We saw it last year.

Dave Rodman: It would take unique individuals, because anyone who gets into this as a single-team owner, I think, is pretty confident and headstrong -- maybe to a fault.

Marty Smith: That's one way to do it, I guess.

Great photo of Kenseth Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: It's helped Roush more than Yates.

Dave Rodman: You look at everyone who's doing it -- and they're pretty independent cats.

Marty Smith: So has testing, Smithson. Roush has more than twice the tests Yates has.

Ryan Smithson: Very, very good point.

Duane Cross: If I was a small team owner, yeah -- I'd buy my chassis from the series' best chassis builder, ditto engines. It makes sense to be a buyer from the best. In my mind, it would at least help my team be more competitive.

Marty Smith: And this unlimited budget comes from where, Duane? Who's your sponsor, hoss?

Ryan Smithson: Duane, that's a tad naive.

Marty Smith: You gonna sign that lucrative Wal-Mart sponsorship?

Duane Cross: Yeah, it's naive -- but you've gotta do whatever it takes to be competitive at any level. As for the sponsor, if we're dealing in what-ifs, it's have to be someone who understood it was going to take X amount of money to do A, B and C. ... Either that, of don't run Cup.

Ryan Smithson: Of course you'd want the best motors. But man, that is $3 million per annum.

Photo of Marty (and Pam) that we forgot to use last week.

Duane Cross: The point is, if you're going to be a player, you have to have money and resources -- so use the funds to buy the best.

Marty Smith: Easy on the annum, son.

Ryan Smithson: One of my favorite words.

Dave Rodman: Cicero Smithson.

Ryan Smithson: They didn't teach us a lot of Latin back in Tennessee. So we used the Guinness Book of World Records.

Marty Smith: Back to Vickers for a moment:

Marty Smith: This just in from Hendrick Motorsports: His job is in no way, shape or form in jeopardy.

Ryan Smithson: I am sure Vickers is safe, Marty, but Kyle is running well and that adds some pressure. It was different when Labonte was struggling.

Predictions for Dover?

Duane Cross: Tony Stewart breaks through for his first win of the year.

Ryan Smithson: We will have 44 cautions.

Marty Smith: Mark Martin to Victory Lane for the second-straight year.

Why did Biffle let Ryan Seacrest win? Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: Jim Hunter wins a million at the slot machine.

Marty Smith: Dave Rodman mud-bogs it through the parking lot.

Ryan Smithson: Dover needs card games at their casino.

Dave Rodman: Mark Martin and Ryan Newman battle into the stretch -- coming through 3 and 4 -- they touch! They touch! And Kasey Kahne slides through for his second win in three races.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, I can't believe you remember my Dave Rodman-drives-through-fans-at-Dover story.

Marty Smith: A classic, Smithson. Never forget it.

Dave Rodman: Never be daunted, brothers.

Ryan Smithson: You nearly killed 12 people, Rodman.

Dave Rodman: Where there's a crack, there's an avenue.

Ryan Smithson: Recap: In 2001, Dave Rodman drove through a field at Dover to escape traffic and slung mud all over a bunch of fans.

Marty Smith: See: Brad Paisley "Mud on the Tires" video for reference.

Dave Rodman: Negative. Don't obscure the truth in misplaced mire.

Ryan Smithson: He must have gone 30 mph in this hole-filled field. Which is like going 150 mph on an interstate.

Ryan Smithson: Also, at 2003 at Dover, Rodman parked on the backstretch because he couldn't find a space. His quote: "They are too lazy to tow me."

Marty Smith: That is hilarious. Wormus essentially dares the track grounds crews to test his will. On a weekly basis, no less.

Dave Rodman: Hmmm. I'm sure I actually said there was no need to tow me from that far away from anything ...

Ryan Smithson: Another Rodman quote: "What is that old man gonna do? Chase me? No."

Duane Cross: Two years from now, some whippersnapper is gonna be saying the same thing about Dave!

Dave Rodman: There you go, big D.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.