For Jeremy Mayfield, those were the days of wins and making the Chase. Credit: Autostock

Track Smack: The Glen

Is Jeremy Mayfield headed to Bill Davis Racing? Why not just stay with Evernham?

David Newton: The simple answer might be because he's not wanted. From Jeremy's standpoint, he can be top dog at BDR but at Evernham Motorsports he's no better than third in the minds of management.

Ryan Smithson: This move is puzzling to me. BDR's program is hard to judge because of the lack of manufacturer support, but one still has to think Mayfield will have a better chance of competing with Evernham. ... Good thing is that Dave Blaney is in the top 35 and will stay there.

Duane Cross: Is the Car of Tomorrow a two-seater? Cup cars have one driver's seat and steering wheel; I don't see Elliott Sadler running shotgun with Jeremy.

Marty Smith: Simple: His yacht has sailed at Evernham. He had a good run there, but given the lack of performance he's endured this year, and losing his crew, it's time to move on.

David Newton: I thought Ray gave the yacht to Kasey Kahne when he gave him the rest of Jeremy's crew ...

Duane Cross: Once the early season unfolded it was clear that Mayfield was going to be (a distant) second fiddle to Kahne. When the No. 19 began struggling you knew it was a matter of time before the search would begin for a new driver.

David Newton: True, BDR hasn't had manufacturer's support, but that organization will have plenty from Toyota. That'll make them stronger from the get-go than they are now.

Duane Cross: RE: Blaney -- he pokes holes in the argument that Bill Davis Racing isn't competitive without factory support. If Blaney can do it, certainly you'd think Michael Waltrip would be as racy.

Bill Elliott and Ray Evernham

ALSO Bill Elliott will not be eligible for a past champion's provisional at Watkins Glen. Elliott replaced Jeremy Mayfield as driver of the No. 19 Dodge after the entry had been filed.  •   9-5.1 Starting Position Determination Without Qualifying  (6) The next available starting position(s), if any, will be assigned to any car owner who has a past champion driver who participated in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series as a driver in the previous calendar year, provided that driver was entered in that car for the Event before the entry deadline and provided the eligible car owner's car added to the field is the car which was used in the official qualifying attempt, unless as determined by NASCAR Officials, it is not repairable. In the event of more than one (1) champion, starting positions will be assigned in descending order starting with the most recent Series champion.

Ryan Smithson: I just don't see how Mayfield won't struggle next year either. He is leaving Evernham before giving the team a chance to fix some things.

Marty Smith: Well, Newt nailed it, Smithson. It's about being wanted, respected, appreciated.

Ryan Smithson: That is another question: What did he do to lose those three things?

David Newton: Not sure he did anything as much as Kasey is the star from a marketing standpoint and they couldn't afford to have him miss the Chase again.

Marty Smith: I don't think it has as much to do with Mayfield as it does Evernham putting its best resources toward Kahne, Smithson.

David Newton: Funny, Kasey is about the same place in points with Mayfield's crew that Mayfield was the past couple of years.

Ryan Smithson: Why wouldn't Evernham put them toward Kahne? He has got top-five talent.

David Newton: If he's got top-five talent, why isn't he in the top five, Ryan?

Duane Cross: Marty, we're talking about a guy who has been in the Chase the past two years. How could he not be wanted, respected or appreciated? There's more to this than that. What that is remains the great untold tale.

Marty Smith: Again, Duane. It didn't start that way. That's what it's become in this hellish season.

David Newton: Dang, I'm agreeing with Marty three times this morning. Can we stop?

Ryan Smithson: Newt, you know that Kahne is top-five talent, even if he's 11th in points. He's got a billion wins this year.

David Newton: Hey, I let the points speak for themselves. This isn't my personal power ranking.

E-MAIL •   David Newton •   Ryan Smithson •   Duane Cross •   Marty Smith JOIN THE FRAY •   Send us a topic for discussion

Marty Smith: Morale can swing in a hurry in this sport. Very quickly.

Ryan Smithson: There is simply nothing more important in any sport -- NASCAR included -- than momentum.

Marty Smith: Well, Smithson, you're smart enough to know that even the best drivers won't win without good cars. Kahne didn't just learn how to drive at Atlanta.

Ryan Smithson: No, but Marty, they have fixable problems over there.

Marty Smith: No, but they're perplexed as to why they can't close the deal right now, Ryan. Very. I spoke with Evernham and Kahne both after Sunday's race and both were ticked about the recent trend.

David Newton: No doubt Kahne's got talent to win races, but does he have the maturity to be consistent for the long haul and compete for a championship?

Duane Cross: So what brought Mayfield and Evernham to separation? That's the story that remains untold -- and I can't wait for the E! True Hollywood Story on this divorce.

David Newton: Nice choice of words at the end, Duane.

Duane Cross: No pun intended. ... Really.

David Newton: Yeah, right

Will Eddie D'Hondt and Bill Riley's new team ever see the light of day on the racetrack?

Hey guys, where's the rest of the car? Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

David Newton: Don't forget, a year ago Tim Brown announced the formation of a new race team at Indy.

Ryan Smithson: That is what everyone pointed out when they saw this deal.

Marty Smith: Who knows? It's hard as hell to break in. It took Hall of Fame Racing like four years.

Duane Cross: See the light of day in a Cup race? Tough call ... it takes a lot to get one of these things off the ground. ,,, I can see them entering the Busch Series and struggling. Moving from Busch to Cup is another beast.

Ryan Smithson: Reporters were joking that they want to hold a news conference and form their own team with no evidence of sponsors or drivers.

David Newton: Yeah, Ryan, I put $5 in.

Duane Cross: Hey, Robert Yates may be looking to merge ...

David Newton: Yates fired Eddie. Why would he merge with him?

Ryan Smithson: That was a joke, Newt.

Duane Cross: Wonder if Eddie will handle the contract for the driver?

David Newton: Oh, still trying to get over the other joke that he says wasn't a joke.

Marty Smith: Smithson's jokes are thinly masked. I rarely get them. It annoys him. He rolls his eyes at me every time. At Indy, must have been 20 such occasions.

Ryan Smithson: Nah, I just like saying, "Come on man" when you don't. I get a big kick out saying that.

David Newton: Can you guys settle your lover's quarrel somewhere besides Smack?

Marty Smith: That was weak, Newton.

David Newton: Looks like I hit a nerve.

Marty Smith: But, your Mayfield-to-BDR story was not weak, so you're given reprieve.

Ryan Smithson: Well, this deal can't be lumped in with Tim Brown or anything though. D'Hondt and Riley have experience at least. D'Hondt knows how to go out and find money. That is key.

David Newton: At least Hall of Fame did it the right way, associating itself with Joe Gibbs Racing. Not sure D'Hondt's new team will have that kind of support.

Ryan Smithson: They say they want four Cup teams within five years. How can they do that when RCR and Gibbs are still trying to find funding for a fourth?

David Newton: Who are they? D'Hondt?

Ryan Smithson: Yes. Y'all are bored with this topic though. Chuckle.

Picks for Watkins Glen?

Ryan Smithson: Tony Stewart, Tony Stewart, Tony Stewart. And Boris -- same as last year.

Hey, I have a great sense of humor! Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

David Newton: Heck, Jimmie Johnson won his first Daytona 500, won his first Brickyard, so why not win on a road course.

Duane Cross: Smoke and Robby Gordon go fender-to-fender, in that order.

David Newton: Smoke will be involved in a melee, I'm afraid.

Marty Smith: Jeff Gordon wins, marries Ingrid at the White Plains Holiday Inn.

Duane Cross: What, the Chieftain Motel is booked?

Ryan Smithson: Now that is a good joke. ... I'll never forget when Boris said he'd take Angelina Jolie to some road motel after the race.

David Newton: Don't forget who won the first road course race this year. Think it was that other Gordon, Jeff.

Marty Smith: Who's gonna do Power Rankings when Smithson is gone on vacation? None of us are funny.

Duane Cross: We're gonna give J.J. Yeley a shot at showing the world he's a funny dude.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer. ... And this week's Did You Know (Probably Not): On Aug. 10, 1947 -- Ian Anderson, lead singer of Jethro Tull, is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.