I'm not listening. LA LA LA LA LA. Credit: AP

Track Smack: Lowe's

Guys, gut feeling: Is the Chad Knaus-Jimmie Johnson relationship going to end soon?

Marty Smith: Not if the 48 team continues to excel, and the current team-dynamic remains intact. They've won the three of the four richest races of the season so far, and Knaus has worked very hard to establish an elevated team morale.

Ryan Smithson: He isn't exactly coming out and flat-out denying anything, and neither is Johnson. Obviously Johnson has already won with someone else on the pit box, which doesn't help keep Knaus there. The big question is how Johnson works with the other crew chiefs there.

David Newton: As Knaus said when asked if he felt guilty for winning so much at Lowe's Motor Speedway: "Hell no!" I believe you'll see a new deal for Knaus soon.

Dave Rodman: Depends on whether or not you can believe what Chad said Monday morning. On the one hand, from a pure standpoint, you'd say they couldn't think of breaking it up. But it wouldn't be the first time.

I have felt from the beginning that Chad is largely responsible for the success of that team. What they did earlier this year was a large amount of proof of that. The way Johnson has grown this year makes them very much a championship favorite, in my mind.

I bet the bottom line is the deal he might be demanding, to stay.

Ryan Smithson: He is certainly worth a ton of money.

David Newton: Agreed, Marty, the team morale is key, and Chad is doing a better job with that from everything I've heard.

Marty Smith: Smithson, Johnson won without Knaus on the box, but not because Knaus wasn't a part of the victory. His signature was all over Daytona and Vegas. In fact, having him at the shop setting up those cars was a rather substantial advantage for the team.

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David Newton: Don't count out how much work Knaus put into that car when he was suspended, Ryan.

Dave Rodman: Exactly. So rather than risk what you might find out without him -- I think I would pony up, if I were Mr. Hendrick.

Ryan Smithson: I didn't say Knaus wasn't part of the Daytona 500 win, Marty and Dave, but geez, I'll bet Johnson still remembers Grubb on the radio.

Marty Smith: You said exactly what I said, Newton.

David Newton: Sorry, sweat in my eyes.

Marty Smith: Rodman shouldn't intimidate you so much, Newt.

Dave Rodman: What in the world did I do now?

Marty Smith: It was a little joke, Worm.

Dave Rodman: My missile launcher would not reach to Fort Mill, S.C.

David Newton: Bottom line, Knaus is among the best in the garage at what he does and Rick Hendrick would be nuts to just let him go.

Marty Smith: If I were Toyota, I'd be after him to head up my program. Likewise if I were Robert Yates.

Ryan Smithson: I would be very interested to see Knaus actually own one of those Toyota franchises.

Dave Rodman: But I don't think Chad was just woofing when he said he wanted to stay -- boils down to how much the hierarchy wants him around, maybe.

David Newton: Knaus will be just like Harvick with Toyota. He might listen to stroke his ego, but in the end he'll stay with a program he knows he can win with right away.

Guys, is the 600 going to be a wreck-fest?

Dave Rodman: It might not be, but if it isn't, I am kind of fearful it might be a parade.

Chad Knaus contemplates how many houses he'll own after his next contract. Credit: Autostock

David Newton: I'll go out on a limb and say there'll be more than the 22 cautions a year ago. Unlike last year, when so many of the blown tires led to single-car incidents, these wrecks will be multi-car.

Dave Rodman: I bet there will be one rather large "accident."

David Newton: If Kyle Petty drives around the back like he did in the All-Star race he could get another top 10.

Ryan Smithson: Guys, call me crazy, but I loved the racing, I thought it was pretty good.

Dave Rodman: You must be crazy. I thought there were a few episodes of interest in that race -- but overall it sucked.

David Newton: Didn't you watch from a bar, Ryan?

Ryan Smithson: Newt, no, I drove home from the track four hours before the green flag. I knew it would rain. It was too hot for May. The weather corrects itself. It started raining when I hit South Carolina

Marty Smith: Smithson showed up for live Track Smack, folks. Helluva guy.

David Newton: He showed up to play golf. Live Track Smack just happened to get in the way.

Marty Smith: I wish I liked golf better. Man, it just doesn't hold my attention.

Ryan Smithson: I read somewhere that over half of people who watch golf actually do not play or dislike playing when they do play.

Marty Smith: I love watching it with cold beer. But playing it? I get bored. I guess if I was better it'd be different.

Dave Rodman: Regardless of what the conditions might induce, I think guys are still going to try to race, and if the cars are as "jumpy" as Kasey and Michael said, look out.

Marty Smith: Naw, I don't think so. But with 7,700 pit stops for fuel, it will still be like Odysseus' journey home.

Ryan Smithson: Newt, with a multi-car crash, there would be fewer cautions. Single-car crashes and debris cause a lot of cautions.

Marty Smith: Johnson and Robby Gordon both made the outside groove work Saturday night, so I think we'll see some decent racing after cautions. But invariably the field will get strung out.

Dave Rodman: I think all the pitting will be one of the more interesting aspects -- but it will make it very difficult to follow. Unless most of the stops are under yellow due to 25 cautions.

Ryan Smithson: There will not be more than 13 cautions.

Dave Rodman: The leader appears to be in a position to dominate. Look at what Riggs, Harvick and Johnson -- and I guess Kyle Busch, too -- did in the respective segments they won. They won going away.

Marty Smith: I'll tell you what -- the Harvick/Johnson side-by-side duel for four or five laps was awesome.

Marty Smith: Those guys were driving their guts out.

David Newton: Yeah, but passing still wasn't easy.

Dave Rodman: You're right, Marty -- but that was a too-brief interlude.

Ryan Smithson: The racing was pretty good, guys. And last year's race notwithstanding, the 600 traditionally is not a door-to-door duel.

Marty Smith: Driving that hard, side-by-side, on new pavement, for that long, Newt? Come on, dude. That was incredible.

David Newton: Johnson's move at the end was incredible. Not much after that.

Ryan Smithson: That was all Chad Knaus right there. I am kidding. Laugh, please.

David Newton: Give Johnson some credit for having the guts to hold the car on the high line.

Is Johnson going to win again?

Dave Rodman: I've been saying 600 miles is a long way -- but until someone steps up and takes it away from them, I'd say JJ and the Chadster are prohibitive favorites.

David Newton: It's hard to pick against a dude that's won four straight points races there, but I will go with his teammate, Jeff Gordon, who was pretty good the longer runs got in the All-Star race.

Ryan Smithson: I don't see how you pick any other person. Those Evernham motors might have something for him.

Marty Smith: Yeah. He started that last segment in 11th, missed that wreck and drove to the win. I'd love to have seen Harvick on four tires instead of two, though. Harvick will be awesome Sunday night.

David Newton: So you're picking Harvick, Marty.

Marty Smith: Naw, Johnson over Harvick in a similar duel.

David Newton: It must be in your jeans.

Dave Rodman: All good calls, boys, but this team is so far beyond missing a pit box to lose, that I think barring getting caught in another one of those pig piles, which is certainly going to happen -- they'll be tough to beat.

Ryan Smithson: I wonder is Riggs can put together 400 good laps.

Marty Smith: Boys, I'm going to tell you what, Harvick is going to be there in November.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, he gets off to a good start every year, including last year. Then he tails off.

Marty Smith: Not this good, Smithson.

Dave Rodman: No question. I think they'll be there Sunday night, but it's the 48's house, to steal a cliché.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman I am going to stomp you for that very cliché.

Ryan Smithson: Let's go to the records. Be right back.

Dave Rodman: Stat research illegal during Smack. Drop the flag.

David Newton: All good things must come to an end, and so will Johnson's run at LMS.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, at this point last year, Harvick was 8th in the points. This year, he is 9th.

David Newton: Good one, Ryan.

David Newton: I'm still not convinced Johnson would have won the All-Star race had half the field not wrecked.

Marty Smith: Well, he probably wouldn't have won the Daytona 500 if Kenseth hadn't wrecked, either, Newt. You can pull that "woulda, coulda, shoulda" stuff all day.

Dave Rodman: Very true.

David Newton: That's what makes the world go around.

Marty Smith: You seem to do that often. Matter of fact, every week.

David Newton: It's a gift.

Ryan Smithson: I hate it when "reporters" say, "He might move to this team." That is cheating.

Either he is or he isn't.

Dave Rodman: Speculation. Weak linking

Ryan Smithson: Newton "might" predict a Johnson win, but only if he dodges the wrecks and has a solid pit stop.

David Newton: I believe this Track Smack session would have ended two minutes ago if I hadn't brought up the other what if. How's that?

The opinions expressed are solely of the writers.