Don't worry, Jeremy. Everything will work out. Trust me. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Track Smack: Indy

1. Is the Brickyard 400 overrated?

Duane Cross: No more so than the Daytona 500 or the Sharpie 500. There are 36 points-paying races and each is worth the same amount of points in the big picture. The fact the Brickyard 400 is held on such hallowed racing ground makes it a spectacle, but the race is not overrated.

Ryan Smithson: Not really, because NASCAR has to have major events. Obviously Daytona and Indy are the two biggest races with the two biggest purses, although purses are hardly anything to get excited over these days.

David Newton: From a pure NASCAR perspective it is. The sport was born on tracks such as Daytona, Darlington and North Wilkesboro. Indy was made famous by the open-wheel guys. The hype for NASCAR is all about exposure.

Dave Rodman: No way. It's the Brickyard, one of the oldest and most legendary facilities in racing, and it pays a ton of money. Is it No. 1? No, but it deserves all the notoriety it gets.

Ryan Smithson: Newton, I see where you are coming from, but this race's creation was one of the best stories of the 1990s.

David Newton: But in the eyes of pure stock car fans it's not more hallowed than North Carolina Speedway or North Wilkesboro, which have been shut down all in the name of progress.

Duane Cross: The most despised six words in modern times: all in the name of progress. Well, besides "Tony Stewart takes out (insert driver)."

Dave Rodman: You could probably say the race, overall, ain't too swift -- but look at the events: Bodine vs. Bodine; Ernie Irvan's flat; Kurt's "kiss my butt;" and it goes on and on ...

David Newton: The race itself has given us some pretty dramatic stuff, so I'm not arguing that it's not good for the sport. And that $2 million paycheck makes it pretty enticing for the drivers.

Credit: CIA Stock Photo

MEA CULPA OK, so a few of you picked up on the misuse of the phrase "Lucky Dog" in last week's Track Smack. For the record, Tony Stewart did not get the free pass. My point wandered ahead of my typing.  The point I wanted to make -- and failed miserably -- is with restarts inside the lead-lap cars, and the Pocono race was Exhibit A in my argument against drivers a lap down starting inside the race leader.  The one-lap, black-flag penalty issued to Stewart was a joke. Green flag drops, the just-penalized Stewart charges ahead and he's back on the lead lap, penalty be damned. In essence, he got the Lucky Dog pass (though clearly not the right phrase) because of the stupid lap-down-cars-restart-on-the-inside rule.  My apologies for getting off track, and thanks for taking the time to e-mail.  -- Duane Cross

Ryan Smithson: I am glad NASCAR doesn't let the Busch Series race there, although half of the Busch Series will be racing there on Sunday.

Dave Rodman: It's great for the sport, just in terms of the exposure of racing at such a facility gives it, though in general flat tracks are none too good for the sport, or none too good for the racing. If you saw the pics of the "New Vegas," I don't think I can wait to get back there.

Ryan Smithson: NASCAR needs some flat tracks. We can't have 10 high-speed banked tracks. Oh, wait ...

Well, the question is, what is the second-biggest race of the year? Duane alluded to the Bristol night race, but Bristol's ratings are not near what Indy will draw, although a lot of that is because Indy is a day race on network.

Duane Cross: It's Daytona, the night race at Bristol and Indy -- those are the three races that stock-car fans ante up for more than any others. A lot of grilling and swilling going on those three days.

Dave Rodman: I think Indy and Bristol would be neck-and-neck, though you're right, it would be for different reasons.

David Newton: Put that race in October in the middle of the NFL season and see how the ratings go.

Ryan Smithson: It wouldn't hurt it as much as you think, Newton. Martinsville gets decent ratings and it is in that timeslot.

Dave Rodman: It would be No. 5 or 6, depending on how many games it was up against.

David Newton: I'd still put Bristol over Indy.

Ryan Smithson: Bristol's racing has been terrible though. The cars go too fast there. You can't pass at all.

Dave Rodman: It might do decent, but it would pale compared to what it does in August. Plus, as a short track, Martinsville would kick its butt, in my opinion. Bristol obviously is a different kind of racing -- damage-control-style. It's got action, and you can't go wrong with that.

Ryan Smithson: Anyone else worried about tires? There are four practices this weekend. Something is bound to go wrong.

Dave Rodman: Funny you mention that. Tires were an issue in testing, weren't they? But that's why they tested. I'm betting they won't have the same tire for the race.

Duane Cross: Yeah, there will be a couple of backup cars in the starting lineup.

Ryan Smithson: It is not supposed to be as hot this weekend, so that will help a little.

2. Jimmie Johnson has been laying low. Is this his year? Is he trying to make sure he peaks at the right time?

David Newton: He's right where he's been the past couple of years. It's about this time that he hits a lull, so it's hard to say he's been laying low.

Dave Rodman: I've been saying that since the beginning of the year, if you've been a Track Smack regular. With the format, though, it's impossible to say for sure.

Hey man, You're right. Those crackers are really tasty. Credit: AP

Ryan Smithson: I can't stress how important this month is to the 48 team. I know it might sound stupid, but they have got to stop finishing sixth and start leading some laps.

David Newton: If it appears he's laying low it's only because he's been overshadowed by all the other drama, from Stewart to what's been happening at RYR to who's on the bubble.

Duane Cross: This isn't the month to boost finishes; finishing sixth will keep him at the top of the heap. It's October and November when he needs to lead some laps and chalk up the wins.

Dave Rodman: There you go, Duane. They have consistently been solid, and that's what they need. Even when they've been bad, they've been good -- or decent.

Duane Cross: Only two finishes outside the top 12 ... that's amazingly consistent in this era.

David Newton: He'd take 12th at Indy right now. It would be a huge improvement on the past couple of years.

Duane Cross: Great point, Newt -- Jimmie's average finish at Indy has regressed: ninth, 18th, 36th, 38th.

Ryan Smithson: I am in Nashville today and D.W is promoting the Truck race here on TV. You can get tickets at Sav-A-Lot. Chuckle.

David Newton: Is that a question or an aside?

Dave Rodman: Good for him. He needs to drum up interest to get his second truck back on track.

Ryan Smithson: How is he going to do that, Rodman? He'd need a veteran driver.

Dave Rodman: He had a lead-lap car at Martinsville that could have been a lot better if not for circumstances -- but that's a ditty a lot of guys sing, weekly. But he still dodged a buncha bullets, so good for them. And that team has been pretty sporty lately.

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Duane Cross: Hope he's better at promoting that Truck race than he was at driving the Dream Machine at Martinsville.

David Newton: Exactly, Duane.

Ryan Smithson: Duane, that was pretty cold, but darn funny. He hit everything.

Duane Cross: Boogity, boogity, boogity.

David Newton: When is NASCAR going to tell him he can't drive anymore?

Ryan Smithson: He hasn't finished driving, scary, eh? You know he'll be doing this until he's 65.

David Newton: I've been on elevators that go faster than him.

Duane Cross: I've met nuns who are faster than him.

Ryan Smithson: A three-toed sloth on Oxycontin is faster than him.

Duane Cross: Rush Limbaugh is faster than ol' D.W.?

Ryan Smithson: (nice) lol

Dave Rodman: If he was that bad he would have been six laps down, so lay off.

Duane Cross: He couldn't go six laps down because he was wrecking the field!

3. Predictions for Indy?

Dave Rodman: How about a Harvick-to-helicopter double, or keeping with that Childress theme, a first timer like Jeff Burton?

David Newton: I'd pick Tony Stewart, but I don't think Clint Bowyer or Carl Edwards will let that happen. So I'll go with Jeff Gordon again.

Duane Cross: Dave, I like the way you think. Harvick needs a boost.

Ryan Smithson: I am going to say Brian Vickers in a huge upset. Seriously.

David Newton: Harvick got a boost at Pocono.

Duane Cross: He needs a boost as in a victory. ... OK Dave, I was with you on Harvick; I believe Burton is quite a stretch.

Dave Rodman: You're right Newt -- I think Tony will run good everywhere, but he'll be a marked man.

David Newton: Gordon ties Earnhardt with win at Brickyard. Perfect for NASCAR's hype.

Dave Rodman: Burton has been nothing but top-15s since April. That is stout.

Duane Cross: Why would Vickers winning be a "huge upset," Smithson? If / when he finally wins, shouldn't the story be, "Well, it's about time?" We've been waiting on Vickers to win since Roosevelt was in office -- Teddy Roosevelt!

Ryan Smithson: Duane, he's never won a race. It would be quite an upset.

The opinions expressed are solely of the participants.