The Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder ... er, is that Matt or Mark Martin? Credit: Autostock

Track Smack: Sonoma

Will fans get tired of seeing the same two organizations winning week after week?
-- Albert, Dade City, Fla.

Marty Smith: I think they already are. Fans are e-mailing me daily about losing interest in the sport because Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing are so dominant. It will be minimal, though, I think. And judging by TV numbers, it's not hurting very much.

Ryan Smithson: This is nothing new. I think in 1998 -- I am trying to remember here -- they might have run 32-33 races. Jeff Gordon won 13 of them, Mark Martin won seven and Dale Jarrett won a few. And that was a boring year.

Dave Rodman: It will take a good, long while for that to happen, I think. I mean, they call it racing and the races have been just that. Here we were, planning our Tony Stewart stories and, well -- we ended up writing 'em but on a different tack.

Duane Cross: That seems to be the most frequent e-mail subject line -- something derogatory about Hendrick or Roush. It's cyclical, though; someone else will build a better mousetrap soon enough and we'll be one to another team or two.

Ryan Smithson: The other teams are starting to catch up a little bit.

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Marty Smith: Stewart is on the verge of winning. Joe Nemechek is on the verge of winning. Some say Ryan Newman got screwed at Darlington, or he'd have a win. Other teams are getting closer. Smithson's right about that.

Dave Rodman: They have got their stuff going on -- but it's not like everyone else is totally out to lunch. So stay tuned.

Ryan Smithson: Penske has made huge gains since the season started, Marty. That is the main thing. Part of the problem is sheer mathematics. Y'all got to realize that Hendrick/Roush is sometimes 10 cars out of 38 fully sponsored machines. That is a huge percentage.

Marty Smith: Smithson read Ryan Newman's quotes from Michigan. I think he said that very comment.

Ryan Smithson: Which one?

Marty Smith: About Roush and Hendrick making up a quarter of the field.

Ryan Smithson: I have not read them yet, but they can't be very long. His never are. He's a concise dude.

Greg, I am going to need you to slow down a little bit there, bud. You're stinking up the show. Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: It's like a broken record, here, y'all. We talk about it all the time. Testing is a huge advantage. Here you have Roush Racing, with more than 25 tests, and only 22 tracks on the circuit. They can test every track, and open that information up to everyone. Yates has 10 total tests. It is sheer numbers.

Dave Rodman: You right, Marty -- old soup. Stale. Move on.

Duane Cross: Evernham's struggles this year haven't helped, ditto Yates, Gibbs and Penske. Once those teams get their ducks in a row, we'll see more than Roush and Hendrick cars dominating the top spot. But it can't come soon enough for some fans.

Ryan Smithson: I wonder if Biffle will get 10 wins. We all said 10 wins were impossible in today's NASCAR.

Dave Rodman: No Ryan -- you said it.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, you still think Geoff Bodine is a phone call away from regaining a top Cup ride.

Dave Rodman: Hmmm. He has more credibility than some of them that are wheelin' em these days.

Casey! You've got that crazed look in your eye! Credit: Autostock

Duane Cross: Biffle won't get 10 -- I'll say it, and I think Biffle's the one to beat right now. But the competition will catch up before we get to Miami.

Dave Rodman: Johnson won eight last year. Ten is totally possible if you have your stuff together -- and there are several teams that are capable of that. Greg and Dougie are the most apt, right now.

Duane Cross: Gordon, Junior, JJ, Newman, Sadler ... there are more wins out there to be had by someone other than Biffle. Toss in Martin, Wallace, Kurt Busch ... it's a long way between five and 10 -- and Sonoma and Miami.

Dave Rodman: But Duane -- don't forget -- they have no weak links -- they can win anywhere, any week, any time. I'd say Sonoma and Watkins Glen will be weak links.

Marty Smith: My yogurt cup just sliced my hand open. Think I could sue?

Ryan Smithson: Sure you could sue. Get $10 million. Buy some cars. I'll be your crew chief. We don't even need a sponsor. We'll get you some seat time. If you make enough races, Hendrick will hire you. We'll be rich.

How come road-course "aces" never actually win Nextel Cup road course events?

Marty Smith: Robby Gordon will be a threat to win at Sonoma and The Glen. That dude can build a bad-fast road course chassis. This is definitely his best shot to win this year.

Duane Cross: Here, here, Marty -- I think Robby will do really well at Sonoma on Sunday.

Dave Rodman: Because the Nextel Cup regulars are bad-ass racecar drivers and Nextel Cup cars are obscenely difficult to drive on a road course.

Marty Smith: You know what's funny? That answer was actually typed in response to Duane's last comment on the first question. But, it applies to the second question, so whatever. It works.

Ryan Smithson: Good question. Guys like Said and Fellows do great, but when you have got guys like Gordon and Stewart, who sit in stock cars 36 weeks a year -- it gets tough.

Marty Smith: Man, "Road course specialists" are obviously quite talented -- Scott Pruett will be a threat, too -- but they're not used to 3,400 pounds. They're used to those little Grand Am rides.

Ryan Newman gets all choked up after learning he won the Bud Pole for the first time in almost a week. Credit: Autostock

Duane Cross: As for the "aces" not doing well, I believe the experience of being in a Cup car week-in, week-out plays out during the course of a road event. In the end, the Cup regulars know how to milk their rides over the road ringers.

Ryan Smithson: Guys, I wonder how much the pit crew comes into play. I know they sometimes make as few as two stops, but obviously you have go to bet on Gordon's crew before Pruett's.

Dave Rodman: Scott Pruett will display some poignant comments on that subject in a conversation Thursday on NASCAR.COM. But bottom line is Cup cars have none of the "amenities" that road course drivers are used to in their road course cars -- like good brakes, fatty tires and no dead weight.

Marty Smith: Well, track position is everything, Smithson. The only way to pass is by out-braking guys, and there aren't but a handful of passing zones in which to do that. Therefore pit road is all the more crucial.

Ryan Smithson: I love the road courses. Just love them.

Marty Smith: Me too. I've long said so. Infineon belongs in the Chase.

Ryan Smithson: I wish the fans liked them too. They don't seem to.

Tony, I almost didn't recognize you without a beard. Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman: You and Robby Gordon, Ryan -- a match made in road course heaven. You know, Robby is putting a second car into this weekend's race.

Ryan Smithson: Speaking of Robby, he gets a bad rap. He's a very personable guy. Yeah, he's all over the track sometimes, but he's got guts. I've seen him sign for two hours.

Marty Smith: Dude, why did you hang out at an autograph session for two hours?

Ryan Smithson: Marty, I didn't. but he was standing at a fence when I walked by. he was still there when I was headed to the house. this was at phoenix.

Dave Rodman: Robby is no more idiosyncratic than you, me or virtually everyone else in the NASCAR garage. He is straight up and that's a refreshing quality.

Duane Cross: Watch NASCAR Drivers: 360 -- Robby's personality comes across in that show; his "bad rap" is unfortunate.

Dave Rodman: People rip what they don't understand or are too lazy to take the time to learn.

This is the world's only known photograph of Mike Garvey. Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith: 360 is an awesome show, Duane. My wife TiVos. That tells you something.Well said, Wormy.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, tell her to send me the tapes. Please. I have been missing it.

Duane Cross: My wife has become a fan of it, too. Great show for FX, for sure.

Predictions?

Duane Cross: Tony Stewart doesn't lead the most laps -- but wins.

Ryan Smithson: Tony Stewart by a freakin' mile. Won't even be close. Boris Said gets a top-five.

Dave Rodman: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins first Nextel Cup road race -- announces in Victory Lane that he and Martin Truex Jr. are leaving DEI as a package deal.

Marty Smith: Good Lord, Dave. You just started a riot.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, thanks for the laugh. I am rolling. Borderline crying. And I am sure Marty is crying.

Last Week's Picks Smacker Pick Finish B. Duane Martin 3rd MartDawg Sadler 8th Elliott Newman 15th StatBoy Biffle 1st This Week's Picks Smacker Pick StatBoy Stewart B. Duane Stewart Rodman Earnhardt Jr. MartDawg J. Gordon

Duane Cross: I also believe some of the old-timers will do well -- Martin, Wallace, even Rudd. ... And there will be a couple of road ringers in the mix, top-10s for Said and Pruett.

Marty Smith: I say Jeff Gordon gets off the schneid. They're hurtin' boys. Arguably, he needs a solid run worse than he's ever needed one in his career.

Dave Rodman: Seriously, it's hard to stray far from homeboy Jeff Gordon on this one. Then again, they have been finding ways to blow legs off lately.

Duane Cross: We said that about Gordon a couple weeks ago, too -- and he was top 10 at Pocono. Yep, a good run at Sonoma, back to Daytona ... the 24 team could have a couple good weeks and the past month will be in the rearview.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.