Smack: Not the Jimmie and Carl show as many thought (cont'd)

3. Joey Logano has had a rough start and stands 32nd in owner points. Can he turn it around at Atlanta, where he was once a terror in Legends cars?

Bill Kimm: I think Joey still has a shot at the championship! Just kidding. He better hope he turns it around, because Home Depot ain't gonna be happy if the No. 20 ain't makin' laps on Sunday.

Dave Rodman: That's a joke, right? But seriously, I think he made a remarkable turnaround in Las Vegas -- not that he's anywhere close to being out of the woods, at this point. His track sessions-to-wall contacts ratio is probably leading the league right now -- but the good thing is it's dulled his ardor not a bit. For him to cycle into a top-10 spot late in the Vegas race, and then maintain a great finishing spot was a Cup career high point for him; though granted, there aren't many chapters at this point.

David Caraviello: Ah, the usual hilarity that ensues when we unlock the basement door to let Kimm into Track Smack. The No. 20 is still guaranteed a starting spot for Atlanta. And honestly, I don't think the kid has done too badly. He had a nice finish at Las Vegas, and showed some flashes at Daytona before he was spun into the wall. He's run better than his points position right now might suggest.

Bill Kimm: Come on, Caraviello. I know he's in at Atlanta, but at Martinsville he's probably going to have to qualify on time. That's a crap shoot I wouldn't want to take.

Dave Rodman: As we came to a sane realization with Junior a week or so ago -- the top 35 is not in question with Joey any more, because as Junior needed to do at Vegas, he made something happen. And I think as he piles up the laps, he's only going to get better. To his credit, I think Joey has the focus and determination of a 23-year-old, at least, which is admirable in this day and time. Everybody's still got to get through Bristol, but I think the "expansion" of that race track and the toughness of this car make a poor finish there less of a prospect than it might have been in a bygone time.

David Caraviello: It's quite obvious that the kid is learning on the fly a little bit, especially since he wasn't able to test in the offseason and he made only three Cup starts last year. And that seems just fine with Joe Gibbs Racing and Home Depot, which in the preseason told anybody who'd listen that they weren't putting any expectations on the guy. Of course, his past successes did that for them.

Inauspicious start

• No. 20 smacks wall in practice
• Logano crashes out of 500
• Rookie debut ends in early laps
• Which way will the rookies go?

Bill Kimm: And you guys say I'm the nice one. Look, six career Cup finishes and four of them are 32nd or worse. Coincidence, or not ready to be in the big show? As for expectations, you can be assured Home Depot expects him to make the race.

Dave Rodman: Some things just come with the territory. I think that whole group, from Zippy to the kid to J.D. and Joe and the whole danged crew, has a good perspective on where they are and where they need to be. And really, Logano has only three legitimate Cup starts. Those events last year were for laps and window dressing, so you can't put much stock in 'em.

David Caraviello: I think Joey has shown enough in spots for people to believe that he's going to be OK. Though the idea of matching Tony Stewart's rookie accomplishments -- two wins and a top-12 position in points -- seems a little ambitious at this point. Joey's getting what rookies often don't get anymore, time to find his footing on the sport's top level. Too many kids are thrown into it without adequate preparation, and fired when it doesn't work out. The Gibbs folks are doing this the right way, which is to be expected given the investment they have in the guy.

Dave Rodman: Joey can definitely win, because he has the car, the crew and the raw ability and nerve to get it done. But having said that, there would almost have to be some divine intervention in there somewhere for that to happen. But it could, make no mistake about it.

Bill Kimm: I don't think anyone expected him to match Smoke, but the fact is, he's learning on the fly and the possibility of him falling outside the top 35 is a very real one. And Dave, you're insane. There is no way Logano is winning a Cup race this season. It's not going to happen!

David Caraviello: I wouldn't be shocked to see Joey steal a win somewhere. Zippy and that No. 20 crew know how to get it done. The car is obviously a good one. The driver has shown in spots that he can hang up front with the big boys. The right combination of circumstances unfolds, absolutely he can win.

Dave Rodman: I didn't say he would win, but as my esteemed colleague pointed out, it wouldn't be a total surprise if he did, since he's already executed it against a lot of the same competition in the Nationwide Series.

Bill Kimm: I didn't realize I was doing Track Smack with JGR employees. Jack Roush and David Ragan get criticized for doing the same thing, and for Gibbs and Logano it's all rosy and fine? By the way -- Ragan had a better average finish in his first six Cup races than Logano has.

David Caraviello: When did we ever blast Jack Roush for giving David Ragan time? Now, Ragan caught heat on his own because he was wrecking everyone when he first started out. Logano hasn't done that.

Dave Rodman: Well, Joey has proven every step of the way their decisions have been correct. For better or worse, and assuming everything else has been equal, he's outrun Marc Davis at each level, and -- not to say Marc doesn't have a lot of potential -- but I think Logano has proven the expectations he's been given at every level, has maintained a level head while doing it and thus is a real treat to observe and deal with.

David Caraviello: I propose a Bill Kimm vs. Joey Logano heads-up event this week at Atlanta. Thunder roadsters on the quarter-mile track.

Bill Kimm: If I could drive I wouldn't be here Smackin' with you!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.