Track Smack: Dover

This week, the boys of Track Smack go from the Lowe's to the Downs -- of Dover.

But don't call it Dover Downs anymore. It's Dover International Speedway -- not to be confused with the horse track. Of course, it's International in the fact that you won't see a foreign import within 10 miles of the track on Sunday.

It was mentioned during the Coca-Cola 600 broadcast that there might be a "shakeup" at RCR. What does that mean?

Dave Rodman: It would seem to make an awful lot of sense to try to put Kevin Harvick back together with Todd Berrier. They won a Busch championship together and had two good years -- but right now none of the teams are doing jack, so why not try mixing them up? RCR set that precedent a few years ago.

Tim Packman: Well, word in the garage and in some circles that RCR is going to switch the No. 29 and No. 31 teams. I saw Danny Lawrence, engine guy, in a Cingular uniform the other night during the 600. He has been with the No. 29 for years.

Ryan Smithson: I don't think it means anything. Harvick, Gordon and Green will get going in the second half and it will go a long way to repair everything that has gone wrong.

Marty Smith: That's been going around for a while, that the 29 and 31 crews might switch teams, so I asked Richard Childress about it for an article last week. His response was classic -- "When you get down, everybody just wants to kick the (expletive) out of you." He's exactly right. When a team isn't running well, and RCR certainly isn't, everyone wants an immediate answer why.

Tim Packman: Robby Gordon has been the strongest RCR team the last few races, seems they are coming on so I don't know what the switch will produce and have to re-do the chemistry thing all over again.

Dave Rodman: IF they switch, I don't think the 31 will be part of it.

Robby Gordon went for a very long Sunday drive last weekend.

Ryan Smithson: I was really impressed to see Robby finish 399 laps on Sunday.

Tim Packman: I was impressed with what he did for the whole day. I have newfound respect for him from me after following him that day from Indy to Charlotte.

Dave Rodman: Shades of Pizza Boy (Stewart) -- when Robby started cramping up in pretty short order, I thought he was in trouble, but obviously any time you can pull that off it is a pretty gutsy and impressive feat.

Marty Smith: Mark Martin says that about Roush last year. They weren't running worth a crap and everyone wanted an answer now. Martin said, "we didn't get behind in one day, so you can't get caught up in one day." It takes a while. Now, Roush is stuffin' it up everybody's hineys.

Ryan Smithson: Childress might move Hamlin around -- much like he did McReynolds in 1998 -- but it wouldn't be a demotion.

Tim Packman: Martin sure put the young gun talk to bed for at least a week. He was driving like he stole that car in the last 10 laps.

Ryan Smithson: Martin split those cars like Earnhardt did two years ago.

Mark Martin drove last weekend like a man half his age.

Marty Smith: Amen, Timmy. He sliced through the middle of lapped cars at least three times. He said he'd never driven that hard to get a win before.

Dave Rodman: Yeah, Dawg -- but Roush made a BIG change in order to do it and it helped both teams.

Tim Packman: The win, and oh yeah, that $1 million bonus, too.

Marty Smith: I'll be honest, this time last year I didn't think Martin had another win in him. They just weren't competitive.

Dave Rodman: I'm still dying to know why Matt didn't even try to pass Mark when he caught him 10 laps earlier. Aaaahh, the intrigue.

Tim Packman: I'd have to agree there. But, after I saw how stoked he was after his Vegas finish this year, I could tell the fire and desire had been turned up and he was ready to rock again.

Marty Smith: That crew switch did wonders. Both Busch and Martin are winners already this year. Dave, Matt's engine was skipping. He was afraid he was gonna lose a cylinder.

Dave Rodman: Good timing, eh?

Ryan Smithson: My feeling is that Fennig probably disliked the switch at first but is happy now.

Ward Burton's night ended on the back of a tow truck.

Dave Rodman: Get it, "timing" -- "engine" -- right when he caught his million-dollar teammate. Priceless.

Tim Packman: Oh, stop it, Dave. My sides are hurting from laughter.

Ryan Smithson: I am sure Kenseth would've passed him if he were able to.

Marty Smith: It's interesting that Martin was found to be too low. I'd bet he laughed when he heard. He won the Winston Million, so $30,000 is pocket change...

Tim Packman: True, this isn't F1 racing we're talking about here.

Dave Rodman: If he was completely honest he would have seen it was worth a shot. Love him or hate him, Busch has got a lot of talent. So switching was a good opportunity for both sides.

Ryan Smithson: F1 racing sucks nowadays. It used to be cool.

Marty Smith: They make a lot of money, man. I was shocked to see how much they make, and all they do is race in straight lines all day.

Dave Rodman: It was cool back in the days of Jimmy Clark and Dan Gurney and Phil Hill -- a spectacle and spectacular. Too robotic these days.

After the whole Jarrett debacle this weekend -- can Internet rumors hurt a race team?

Tim Packman: I hate to think we are in the business of firing drivers as opposed to providing the news. But, he does have a point that some sites can bother a team if the wrong thing is posted. Even though, it might not be close to the truth.

Ryan Smithson: Yes, and you only have to look at Kenny Wallace in late 2000. I theorize that this was one of the clearest instances of the Internet firing a driver when it kept saying he was out of the No. 55 Chevy.

Rumor has it that Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott drive Dodges.

Marty Smith: They most certainly can. If a team member gets on the Internet and reads that his driver wants out, don't you think that might trigger a little resentment? Then, when they get to the track and see reporters swarming all over their hauler, wouldn't that resentment build a little more? Hell yes it would.

Tim Packman: Then, does the team keep the driver despite what is being said? Or, do they now see a window of opportunity to get rid of him and bring in someone else?

Ryan Smithson: Well, think if it this way -- let's say I read on the Internet that Marty was leaving NASCAR.com to enroll at Oxford. Resentment? No. Because I know it's not true.

Marty Smith: Sure Ryan, YOU know it's not true. But 17 million readers don't.

Tim Packman: Oxford? Marty is going to Oxford? The only racing over there is the crew team! I'd try crew. It'd build some serious back and shoulder muscles.

Ryan Smithson: Marty's too white to be out in a boat rowing. He'd need 100 SPF.

Dave Rodman: If we say everything you read on the Internet is B.S. -- we got to ask, why are we working?

Marty Smith: Good Lord. We're talking rumors here, Dave. Not confirmed, legitimate articles.

Dave Rodman: But the Web is dangerous because any geek with an iota of knowledge can publish a Web site.

Tim Packman: I would literally be an anchor for one of those sculls.

Marty Smith: We're talking rumors here, Dave. Not confirmed, legitimate articles.

Ryan Smithson: Dave, I think that is the clearest danger. Fans with websites.

Marty Smith: That, my man, is a big fat 10-4.

Tim Packman: Well, Dave, I would like to think we are working to represent the good in the sport and our readers depend on us for the truth.

Dave Rodman: Comes back to whom can you trust? That is a tough, tough line to toe every single day -- every single article.

Tim Packman: Rumors are rumors, true. But, I would rather go with what I know for fact than try to get it out of a team via a rumor.

Dave Rodman: Big danger is someone on a team reads something, then they start asking questions that maybe didn't need to be asked.

So what will happen at Dover this weekend?

Tim Packman: Fans will show up, qualifying will be held, races will be run, we'll write stories about it. Sounds easy to me.

Ryan Smithson: If you go by history, a Dale Jr. win. Won the fall race and would have won the spring race had he not spun out. Still finished third.

Dave Rodman: If momentum means anything -- Martin and Kenseth 1-2 -- though I wouldn't commit to the exact order.

	Can anybody catch Matt Kenseth?

Marty Smith: Martin may win again, y'all. He seemed awfully confident in the post-race interview Sunday.

Marty Smith: But I still think Tony Stewart will dominate.

Ryan Smithson: Viagra hot streak.

Tim Packman: The Monster Mile has been pretty tricky the last two years. The new tires are still tough to figure out for some teams. I'm going to go with Ricky Rudd for this week.

Dave Rodman: Shoot -- as much as I hate to say it, maybe a Roush 1-2-3. Throw ol' Busch Buggy in there.

Marty Smith: He'll qualify well and get out front early. These days, with the aero push crap, once a driver is out front it's pretty much smooth sailing.

Ryan Smithson: Tony Stewart can dominate anywhere. He's the Clubber Lang of NASCAR. Pain.

Tim Packman: Clean air equals clear sailing.

Marty Smith: Totally, Timmy. That's all these boys are talking about these days -- how the leader has all the advantage in the world.

Ryan Smithson: Since when did the leader have an edge?

Tim Packman: Since he wasn't in 40th place.

Dave Rodman: Well, we can't discount that DuPont home track influence on ol' Jeff -- he has to break out somewhere.

The new Iron Man, Ricky Rudd, showed some mettle at Lowe's.

Ryan Smithson: Nice sponsor mention, Dave. Track Smack is now complete.

Tim Packman: Ryan, I'd like to think the closer you are to the checkered flag, the more of an edge you have over the competition.

Ryan Smithson: Exactly my point, Tim. What genius playing NASCAR 5 woke up and realized the leader has it easier?

Tim Packman: Gordon would be a good winner with his sponsor being located right there. Plus, DuPont (second mention) is celebrating being in business 200 years.

Ryan Smithson: Tim that made me wanna throw up my Subway (third mention). Eat fresh.

Tim Packman: It seems Ryan gets all his NASCAR knowledge from video games.

Ryan Smithson: So do a lot of drivers.

Marty Smith: He lives in a fantasy world, Pack.

Tim Packman: Gee, you think?

Ryan Smithson: I rely on video games for sure.

Marty Smith: If I ever get to race Smithson online, I'm just gonna wreck him. He lives 400 miles away. He can't throw his helmet at me like Elliott Sadler can.

Tim Packman: Nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace the feel of the car on the track. Video games don't have the bumps in them that are characteristics of each track.

Ryan Smithson: I am way too good to let you wreck me. You'd wreck trying.

Tim Packman: Talk smack about being a video racer...I'm going to go play with my dog.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com and the opinions expressed here are solely those of the participants. And we mean that. Also, the above words that appear under those pictures are not entirely the truth.