Track Smack: Loudon

November 20, 2001
2:57 PM EST (1957 GMT)

Dave Rodman is back this week after a one-week suspension from Track Smack. He remains on probation for the rest of the year, whatever that means. Basically, he can't fight back from the mean jabs thrown this way this week. On a different note, it's too bad the weather will be decent in New Hampshire -- a snowy forecast would have provided some good Smack fodder.

So who came out the big winner in Silly Season?

Dave Rodman: I would have to go right to the end of the limb and say Ray Evernham was the big winner in Silly Season. Assuming he has additional money from Daimler/Chrysler, he is in good shape.

Tim Packman: I would have to say the big winners are going to be Jimmy Spencer and Jeremy Mayfield. Two experienced drivers going to two established Dodge teams that have won races. If Spencer can't produce with his input and find Victory Lane, I would be surprised.

Marty Smith: I got to go with Dave. Ray Evernham made out like a bandit. Jeremy's still an awesome talent; he was just tired of butting heads with Roger Penske and his guys. Now, he's starting anew, and you can bet he's going to win some races. Might even win Daytona.

Ryan Smithson: Chip Ganassi won the Silly Season -- he plugged a hole in his operation by signing Jimmy Spencer. Spencer and Sterling Marlin are both experienced and hungry, and I look for that team to win five races between them.

Tim Packman: Jimmy and Sterling. The Toupee Twosome.

Ryan Smithson: Ah, c'mon. We know Jimmy's hair is real.

Tim Packman: Yeah. Real fake.

Ryan Smithson: Go tug on it Packman and see what he does.

Dave Rodman: Mayfield is a winning driver who, if properly motivated and equipped, could win anywhere from three to six races. And, he keeps his champion-in-waiting in the fold while he keeps his learning curve up.

Jimmy Spencer

Marty Smith: If I was Casey...I swear I'd be madder'n Hades.

Ryan Smithson: Casey got hung out to dry. He says he is all excited and what not, but c'mon.

Tim Packman: Excited my foot. How excited can you be to sit on the pole and have some great runs in your first year of Cup. Then, after helping establish the team, be told you're going to another first year Dodge team to help them get started?

Marty Smith: He's been driving the wheels off that car during the second half, and now he's being replaced? I just don't understand. Ray's a smart dude, no questioning that, but man, I can't grasp his thinking there.

Dave Rodman: Dodge is going to hold the key there. I don't think they're going to let him get moldy over there with the No. 7. car.

Chip Ganassi

Ryan Smithson: It's a demotion any way you look at it, Dave.

Dave Rodman: If Dodge has made the commitment to him behind the scenes, what looks crappy to us may not be quite so bad.

Marty Smith: Ray's going to look after Casey still. He's going to make sure the kid's got good cars. But man, it's still unsponsored. He was given the 19, and then he was shuffled away. He's a mature young man to handle it the way he has

Dave Rodman: I don't think everyone who says he is a future champion is wrong, and Dodge knows that. I don't think they're going to risk pissing him off for a short-term gain with a more experienced driver. He'll be OK.

Tim Packman: I sincerely hope Dodge is behind Casey and Ultra all the way. Would be very fitting to see both of them get that first Cup win together and prove all the naysayers wrong.

Casey Atwood

Ryan Smithson: The lesson we all learned from Silly Season -- veteran owners want veteran drivers.

Dave Rodman: Except Geoffrey Bodine.

Marty Smith: It just sucks that young guys have 15 races to prove themselves.

Tim Packman: Now, the big thing is going to be to see what Mayfield does with an established Dodge team. Will he get back to the winning ways again, or not?

Marty Smith: Yes, Timmy. He's going to win in that car. If not, I'll run around Lowe's Motor Speedway buck-naked.

Geoffrey Bodine

Tim Packman: Timmy??!!! You are NOT going to make the Christmas card list calling me that!

Marty Smith: Actually, I take that back. Jeremy, you better win son.

Tim Packman: Please, Jeremy, win!

Dave Rodman: I think the biggest winner is Daimler/Chrysler. They might easily win one-third of the races next year and definitely challenge for the manufacturers' and drivers' championships.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman's a stooge for Dodge.

Tim Packman: I hear he has a company car from them.

Jeremy Mayfield

Ryan Smithson: Rodman's a Dodge fan because it reminds him of the Packard he drove when he was a kid.

Tim Packman: Back to the age thing again. Maybe we should suspend Ryan for age discrimination detrimental to the sport of auto racing?

Who will win the season finale?

Marty Smith: Jeff Burton will win at New Hampshire.

Tim Packman: Santa Claus, because he will have the only setup to get around that track in those weather conditions.

Ryan Smithson: Ricky Craven will dominate.

Jeff Burton

Dave Rodman: Craven spent too much time on snowmobiles up at Moosehead Lake not to be an odds-on favorite.

Ryan Smithson: He'll be the only one motivated probably.

Tim Packman: I think it will be a first-time winner. I'm picking Johnny Benson to be the one.

Marty Smith: Good call, Packy. Claus dives to the apron, Sasquatch goes high, Jack Frost makes it three-wide.

Tim Packman: And the Elves break out in song.

Ryan Smithson: Johnny Benson -- good choice. He's from Michigan. Should handle the weather pretty well.

Ricky Craven

Marty Smith: Thank God the fine folks at UPS passed out gloves and toboggans at Atlanta. Dave, I'll overnight them to you. They're dope. Brown with 88's on them. Dave, they'll match your pants.

Tim Packman: That was nice of them to put my IQ on there, can I have a pair, Marty?

Ryan Smithson: Rodman's not much of a dresser. I think he sleeps in his NASCAR.com shirt.

Marty Smith: Smithson, you ain't Mr. GQ yourself son.

Tim Packman: Smithson dresses with Garanimals to match his outfits up correctly.

Ryan Smithson: Marty, this is a shouting match you don't want to start, Mr. Parachute Pants. And Packman, you look like a huge plum when you wear the purple NASCAR.com shirt.

Marty Smith: Well, at least I don't have 5 pairs of khaki's and 5 black, booty-tight Hanes T-shirts that I wear every single day.

Ryan Smithson: When Rodman wears his red NASCAR.com shirt, he looks like a parking valet.

Johnny Benson

Tim Packman: At least we're proud enough to wear our NASCAR.com shirts when we work.

Ryan Smithson: Mine don't fit!

Tim Packman: Because you got child sizes instead of adult ones.

Marty Smith: I'm sure. As puny as your body is I'd be shocked if they weren't WAY too big.

Ryan Smithson: You called me fat last week! Make up your mind!

Marty Smith: You're fat and puny. You can be both, man. Just go look in the mirror, you'll see.

Jerry Nadeau: Does his luck suck or what?

Tim Packman: I give Jerry a lot of credit for getting out of the car and kind of chuckling about what happened instead of assessing blame and crying about it.

Jerry Nadeau

Ryan Smithson: Poor Jerry. Harvick got him at the line for third.

Marty Smith: That sucks to the nth degree that Jerry ran outta fuel. But hell, I'm stoked Bobby won.

Ryan Smithson: I figure that cost him about $50,000 out of pocket.

Dave Rodman: Ryan -- how can you say that? Luck had nothing to do with it. To rumble off to a three-quarter lap lead and then run out of gas ain't too smart on someone's part.

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, why do you bash Nadeau so much?

Marty Smith: I've said it a million times. Anything good that happens to Bobby Labonte is quite deserved. He is probably the kindest individual I've ever met.

Tim Packman: He knew he was capable of winning that race, and for all purposes he did well and should be proud of his efforts. Man, 100 yards from victory and no go-go juice to get there.

Marty Smith: Jerry's cool as hell. I see him eating at Java Jim's in Mooresville a lot.

Ryan Smithson: I'll tell you one thing -- Atlanta is the most competitive track in NASCAR, and I wish they raced there four times a year. Great finish every time since they got the grooves worked in.

Marty Smith: No doubt homeboy. That was the best race since March 11 -- at Atlanta.

Dave Rodman: The truth hurts, I guess. I died when he ran out of gas -- but you have to take responsibility for not knowing you're going to run out. The NBC crew said 35 laps before that his fuel run was going to be suspect -- someone had to know.

Tim Packman: True, Dave. But knowing about and being able to do something about it are two different things in racing. It's not like he could call a timeout and stop in the pits. That's what makes racing so awesome.

Dave Rodman: It is a pretty amazing place, and even though my attorney is pulling my arm out of its socket, AMS is a place they're lucky they don't kill someone at every other race -- but it is a helluva racey-race track.

Tim Packman: Fans get their money's worth at Atlanta.

Ryan Smithson: Especially since tickets were so cheap.

Dave Rodman: Pack, you can pull 500 less RPMs, let off sooner, feather foot the gas; draft lappers -- man, you don't just keep gettin' it when everyone's already beat into submission.

Dave Rodman: Did they do 2-for-1's?

Bobby Labonte

Ryan Smithson: I wonder why Nadeau does so well at Atlanta.

Dave Rodman: Because the boy is smooth and fearless.

Marty Smith: Good answer Dave. Very well said

Ryan Smithson: Rodman, I'll bet you laughed your ass off when Nadeau started weaving his car back and forth to get fuel in the cell.

Tim Packman: Confidence is premium for certain drivers at certain tracks. Jerry does well at Charlotte, too.

Dave Rodman: Ryan, start paying attention -- you forget me and my neighbor are New Englanders -- I said earlier I died when he started weaving. Jerry has had a tough year but has kept his head up.

Marty Smith: I wonder if Jerry would be mad at us if we all chipped in and bought him a gallon of gas. I would assume one of us would venture home with a black eye.

Ryan Smithson: I don't know. He's pretty short. I wonder if he can fight.

Marty Smith: I feel certain he would whoop your butt.

Tim Packman: I would want him on my side in a dark alley.

Ryan Smithson: If he was taller, no way. But since he is shorter, maybe. Short people fight better than tall ones.

Marty Smith: Sure do.

Ryan Smithson: Harder to hit.

Dave Rodman: Low center of gravity, too.

Tim Packman: I don't know about that. Us big plums are bigger targets.

Track Smack appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com and the opinions listed here are solely those of the participants.