Track Smack: Looking back at the life of Bill France Jr.

1. You didn't have to know Bill France Jr. to appreciate what he's presented to everyone involved in the sport of NASCAR racing today, so as we get ready to go to Pocono, what's the thought?

Mark Aumann: I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, but as a long-time fan and journalist, there's no doubt how much he meant to the sport. I bought a ticket to the 1978 Daytona 500 for $15 two weeks before the race. Imagine doing that now?

Dave Rodman: I happen to like Pocono, so I hope the legacy that the names "France" and "Mattioli" have created there, gets to continue for a good long while. It's neat that Doc's place is the next stop after Bill's passing, since that relationship goes back to "Big Bill's" day.

Raygan Swan: There are so many figures in this sport that I wish I had the privilege of meeting and Bill France Jr. was definitely one of those. He made NASCAR attractive to new fans like me.

Dave Rodman: Bill and his dad had the greatest quality imaginable. They could talk to kings or queens or you or I -- and make everyone feel like they were on the same level. And that's a rare and priceless attribute.

Mark Aumann: Consider that the only NASCAR race on the western side of the Mississippi River was at Riverside after Ontario shut down. And Pocono might have been the only race on the other side of the Delaware River, then.

Dave Rodman: There's no question Bill was huge in motorsports, and deservedly so. But he was "just folks..." I'm thankful for that, as a lot of people are.

Mark Aumann: Hard to believe that less than 30 years ago, the Daytona 500 wasn't even shown live on television. That's the kind of impact Bill France Jr. had on this sport.

Dave Rodman: That is hard to believe, and like with a lot of other things, it's hard for new fans to really appreciate what Billy brought to the table, but he's made great careers possible for a lot of people in a lot of areas.

Raygan Swan: If it wasn't for his and Brian France's vision, I may not be a fan today. What the family has done for the female fan base is incredible.

Mark Aumann: I wonder how much input Brian got from him after he retired from the sport, and how that changes Brian's management style.

Dave Rodman: I'll never forget the time I needed to change the oil in my car, way back whenever. I don't know why, whether it was raining or what -- but I pulled it into the old mailroom, which was located right behind my original office outside Daytona Speedway's Turn 4 tunnel. I was in the middle of the deal and Bill came in to get something. He was absolutely incredulous that I was doing what I was doing, where I was doing it. He left shaking his head, saying "I got 200 garages inside the track, what are you doing HERE?"

Raygan Swan: I especially enjoyed how Bill could rock a suit topped with a NASCAR cap -- a true testament to his versatility -- along with selling hot dogs and directing traffic.

Mark Aumann: I think the funniest story I heard about Bill was when they were clearing the swamp to build the speedway and they would hear rattlesnakes out in the scrubland.

France Jr. left impact on people and sport

NASCAR stars of today and yesterday plus those associated with the sport all take a moment to reflect on the life of Bill France Jr.

• Complete story, click here

Dave Rodman: Priceless, for sure.

Mark Aumann: I sure hope you recycled that oil instead of dumping it down the drain. And you didn't spill any in his parking lot.

Dave Rodman: Of course. Volusia County is seriously committed to recycling. Thanks to Bill's esteemed largesse, I wasn't working at the county landfill the next day.

Mark Aumann: Well don't pull the same stunt at Pocono this weekend. I'd hate to bail you out of the county lockup.

Dave Rodman: Done.

2. Denny Hamlin did the almost unthinkable last year -- swept Pocono as a rookie. Could someone nab their first win there, this weekend?

Raygan Swan: Nope! Denny is going to nab his first victory of the season! Especially if he's still playing that video game he was playing last year. He attributed his win to his simulator, remember?

Dave Rodman: If his head and stomach are all cleared up, how about David Stremme? He's been on the verge -- maybe not as much as J.J. Yeley, though.

Raygan Swan: Hamlin has consistently stayed in the top 10 and he's due for a win!

Mark Aumann: Who's still out there looking for their first victory? Clint Bowyer might be a pretty good pick. He ran really well at Indy last summer -- and that's probably as similar a track (flat corners, long straights) as you'll find.

Dave Rodman: But yeah, now that you mention it -- three consecutive does have a neat ring to it. And the way they ran at Dover, which was NOT one of their better tracks last year, kinda proved they have turned another corner.

Raygan Swan: David Stremme's been dropping like a rock. He's nowhere close -- but maybe JPM?

Mark Aumann: Montoya might be a real long shot. Pocono drives like a road course with three left-hand turns.

Raygan Swan: You're right, Mark; and I think Clint may be close to a win. And David Ragan could pull it off.

Dave Rodman: If he doesn't have any travel issues, Carl Edwards could upset some of those first-time apple carts at Pocono. And if you remember, when Tony and those guys started that melee last year, weren't they all contending?

Mark Aumann: If he can get in the race, somebody like Paul Menard could surprise, too.

Raygan Swan: If I marry him I'd be Raygan Ragan. Hah!

Dave Rodman: You can't leave that alone, can you?

Mark Aumann: Wow. Let's start that rumor right now!

Raygan Swan: But he's an embryo and I'm an old lady!

Dave Rodman: The 600 started a nice run of -- maybe not surprises, because Martin had been on a constant upward sweep -- but different things.

Mark Aumann: I like the way Ragan's been running recently. He's been real smooth and running with the leaders. He's getting better and better every time out. I see that car doing something later this season, maybe on one of the cookie-cutters.

Raygan Swan: Yeah -- he's not making as many mistakes!

Dave Rodman: But getting caught as an innocent bystander, as he was at Lowe's, can get you anywhere.

Raygan Swan: And if Gilliland can not create another chocolate mess on the track like in Dover, when he took out his teammate, perhaps he could make it to Victory Lane. He Nestle-crunched Ricky Rudd!

Mark Aumann: You must have just visited the snack machine, Raygan.

Raygan Swan: Yep, Mark. You know, we got free candy in the media center all weekend long at Dover.

Mark Aumann: You know where Gilliland might be a surprise winner -- Daytona. They were awesome there in February. But before that, we need to work on your calorie chart.

Raygan Swan: I'm back on my cleanse, but I took a detour in Dover and hit the Cold Stone. Dave tried to stop me but I caved.

Dave Rodman: Cold Stone was strike 3, wasn't it? Good thing you're off the road for a while.

Raygan Swan: I know! I've eaten nothing but oats and fruit today, maybe Subway later -- a shout-out to my homey Smoke.

Mark Aumann: Yeah, I think we need to start a fitness regimen.

Dave Rodman: Ain't gonna happen at Pocono. They got one of the best food lines on the circuit. Non-stop -- and real good regional chow.

Mark Aumann: We'll put your laptop on the treadmill and make you run as you type, Raygan. You can do 35 words per minute and six minute miles.

Raygan Swan: The media centers at all of the tracks should be charged with America's obesity problem considering the way they feed us. It's like fattening swine: Tons of carbs in a confined space for three days.

3. With Pocono and Nashville being the first commuter frenzy, who'll end up with the best travelogue?

Mark Aumann: How many guys are running both, Dave?

Dave Rodman: Nine: Edwards, Blaney, Reutimann, Ragan and Yeley, who are running the full season; and then Biffle, Bowyer, Bliss and Stremme.

Raygan Swan: No Ryan Newman? That's too bad. I want him to, because then I could tell you about Krissie Newman.

Dave Rodman: That begs an "and then...?"

Mark Aumann: And just imagine, some of the guys will be coming off the races at Eldora -- and probably a trip to Mr. France's funeral. There's a lot of frequent-flier miles involved this weekend.

Dave Rodman: If Jack Roush, Greg Biffle and Chip Ganassi are now giving frequent flyer credits, there are.

Raygan Swan: Krissie is getting her helicopter pilot's license so she can scoot her hubby from track to track.

Mark Aumann: No kidding?

Raygan Swan: Yeah, she's a bad-ass!

Mark Aumann: Somehow I get flashbacks to "Magnum P.I." when thinking about that. Ryan Newman and Tom Selleck -- separated at birth.

Dave Rodman: I know the full-time guys have no choice, but for the life of me I can't figure why on earth Bowyer, Biffle, Bliss and Stremme would subject themselves to it?

Mark Aumann: Carl's almost to the point where he could afford to miss three races and still hold a comfortable lead.

Raygan Swan: True dat, Mark. And he's creeping on a Cup win, but Carl has too much fun to miss a race. If you don't believe me, just ask him. "It was a blast" -- that's all he says these days.

Dave Rodman: And you'd have to think that with his breakthrough at Kansas City that Chip would reward Scott Lagasse with the whole weekend, instead of just standing-in for Stremme?

Mark Aumann: The sad thing: Montreal is the same weekend as the next Pocono race, but I don't know how many were going to make both. The timing is very difficult.

Dave Rodman: Full-timers might not have much choice, but by then it might be a moot point for J.J. and David.

Mark Aumann: That was a nice run by Lagasse in the ARCA race, and Scott Wimmer's been tearing it up. Good to see some fresh faces on the Busch leaderboard.

Dave Rodman: At any rate, if we're talking outdoing anyone with travel stories, whoever does it will have to go a long way to out-do Jack and Carl's scarefest up there two years ago.