Boris Said's hair is filling in for Elliott Sadler this week in Daytona. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Track Smack: Testing

What has emerged as the biggest story of testing so far?

Marty Smith: Personally, I'd have to say it's the new-look Petty Enterprises. I spent significant time in the 43 garage Monday and saw a reinvigorated team.

Ryan Smithson: I'll be very interested to see how the nose of the new Ford works. The Fusion is being banked upon to really be a star on the superspeedways (Talladega, Daytona).

Dave Rodman: Bill's back. If you believe that everyone starts the season on an equal plane -- then I really like Bill Elliott's chances in that MB2 car.

Duane Cross: Elliott Sadler couldn't say enough about the new Fusion; he was like a kid in a candy store -- or a guy who just got the prettiest girl in class to go to the prom with him.

Marty Smith: Elliott Sadler said that the Fusion feels good, Smithson, but Bobby Labonte made a great point to me -- until you're out there with 42 other cars you haven't a clue where you stack up.

Dave Rodman: Yeah, that is kind of why I was interested in seeing what Wednesday showed us.

Ryan Smithson: I feel very strongly that Yates is clearly the team to beat at Speedweeks.

Marty Smith: How is that, Smithson? Brand new car barely tested, and you're already handing them the hardware?

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Ryan Smithson: Marty, people forget how dominant they were at Talladega, and I don't mean Dale Jarrett. Sure, it's a new car, but that doesn't mean it won't do well. These guys aren't amateurs.

Marty Smith: I do, however, appreciate your willingness to call it.

Ryan Smithson: It's just a feeling. Yates always comes to Daytona with good stuff. He's won a few of those.

Duane Cross: Yates is one of the few teams that didn't have a major shakeup, so you've gotta think those guys will have their stuff together for Speedweeks. No reason to believe Dale Jarrett or Sadler couldn't win the Daytona 500 -- if they keep a firm grip on the new car.

Marty Smith: Tony Stewart likely wins Talladega without that caution, Smithson.

Dave Rodman: I'm on Bill's bandwagon as a fellow old-school tool -- but after one day, you had to be impressed with the Hendrick duo -- the safari twins -- Jeff and Jimmie.

Duane Cross: And Smoke has to be the favorite on Feb. 19. Mike McLaughlin has turned in respectable times in that car.

Dave Rodman: There you go, Duane -- I was getting there, slowly but surely. Smoke has kinda got this Daytona deal down pat.

Ryan Newman hates budget cuts. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Ryan Smithson: No reasonable person would say Stewart isn't going to be one of the top three cars.

Duane Cross: "Reasonable" -- when did reason become a hallmark for Track Smack?

Dave Rodman: New Year. Ryan must be turning over a leaf. Or burning too many leaves.

Marty Smith: I'll tell you who was impressive Monday -- Scott Wimmer. Eighth quickest in the 4. Solid. He's run well in plate races with Bill Davis, and somehow Morgan McClure nearly always puts a decent speedway piece on the track.

Ryan Smithson: If Bill Elliott won the Daytona 500, cars would be overturned in downtown Dawsonville. It would be all over CNN.

Duane Cross: RE: Gordon and Johnson -- coolest paint schemes here, hands down. Good to see teams showing up with something other than battleship gray or army-issue tan.

Marty Smith: I learned something last night at the bar. Seems like a dumb question, but I asked it anyway. Cars are actually quite a bit slicker with paint on them. My question was, why, then, do you show up without paint?

Ryan Smithson: To sandbag.

Marty Smith: The reason: Because they usually have to cut so much sheet metal off when they get back to the shop.

Dave Rodman: Yup.

Marty Smith: I found that interesting. Maybe you don't.

Ryan Smithson: No, it is. It also shows how much easier it is to get a car painted these days as opposed to 1990.

Greg Biffle's dog juuuuuuuuuuuust missed. Credit: AP

Duane Cross: Here's hoping the No. 8 team shears off some metal -- and decides, "You know, that black looks really cool." I'd like to see Junior run a black paint scheme with Budweiser Select on the hood. Sweet color combo.

Dave Rodman: Makes perfect sense. And if you know paint is worth as many tenths as it's worth -- you relatively know all you need to know. Or, if you can run a .70 in a burlap bag, you might could run a .40 or a .50 in a silk stocking.

Ryan Smithson: It also shows that sponsors probably want a little decal here and there with all the media attention Daytona testing gets.

Marty Smith: Judge Mathis is on the Daytona International Speedway media center television. Captivating.

A report in the Las Vegas Review Journal says Las Vegas Motor Speedway may go from 12 to 21 degrees of banking. Thoughts?

Marty Smith: It'd help the racing. But why do it? They already sell it completely out every single time.

Ryan Smithson: I'd say I don't want to be the guy on the paving machine when it's 118 degrees out.

Duane Cross: It sure can't hurt the racing there.

Ryan Smithson: They also want a second date. Bad.

This photograph of Dick Trickle was taken last week. We haven't seen him in a while. Credit: AP

Marty Smith: If said rumor is true, this could be a decision that actually benefits the fan. As I said, they already sell it out, so it's not about putting butts in seats.

Dave Rodman: It shows SMI's commitment to helping the show, if at all possible. So you got to tip your hat to Bruton and Chris Powell's gang for that. Never stand still.

Ryan Smithson: I don't think a second date would sell out without that new banking.

Duane Cross: Folks in Vegas like the frantic pace of $1,000,000 riding on the roll of the dice -- why not pick up the speeds at the track? Tack on more grandstands and suites and mash the gas. ... Which leads us to -- which track loses a date for Vegas to get that second show?

Marty Smith: Has to be an SMI track, Duane.

Duane Cross: True. But which track have they not dumped money into lately?

Marty Smith: Well, they upgraded Atlanta after the tornado. They've redone Infineon. They're repaving Lowe's. Texas is Texas.

Dave Rodman: I was already going to ask how Atlanta's attendance was in 2005, but I decided I'd let that dog lie.

Ryan Smithson: If Vegas got a second date, then that market is going to be pretty saturated. Six dates in Phoenix, L.A. and Vegas combined. That is a large percentage of the schedule.

Duane Cross: Well, if we're talking attendance and saturating the left-coast venues, trim a California date.

Dave Rodman: How much of the schedule is contained from Homestead to Daytona to Talladega to Atlanta to Darlington to Charlotte? I don't think that that is such a good argument. If they create a great venue -- might create some movement.

Marty Smith: Dear Lord, Wormy. WHAT?

Ryan Smithson: It's a lot farther from Talladega to Homestead than Phoenix to Vegas, Rodman. You're crazy.

Duane Cross: And each one of those tracks has better racing than California.

Marty Smith: If ISC owned Vegas they'd have four races.

Dave Rodman: Sorry, Southwesterners -- you can see how much I love that part of the country.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the writers. C'mon, sing along: I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run. I've been to paradise, never been to me ...