Good ending trumps conspiracy, coincidence

The spark of the cigarette lighter gives him away. There he is as always, leaning against a concrete pillar in a dungy underground parking garage, smoking away the early hours of the morning. The wide-brimmed hat and nicotine haze obscure all but a portion of his face. Somewhere in the distance is the rumble of a car engine, and his hand moves instinctively to his inside coat pocket until the sound fades away.

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These meetings are frequently tense, sometimes dangerous, always uncomfortable. There is no time for pleasantries. You move immediately to the subject.

"Montoya in Mexico? Nice touch."

He doesn't smile, doesn't speak. Instead there's a barely perceptible nod, noticeable only by the dip in his hat brim, a small gesture of recognition. He doesn't have a name, doesn't have a title, doesn't officially even exist. But his handiwork has been on public display for decades, witnessed by millions who sit unaware of unseen forces.

Richard Petty winning his 200th race on July 4 with President Reagan in attendance.

Transplanted Indianan Jeff Gordon winning the first NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the first race at Daytona after his father's death.

Jimmie Johnson dominating the Charlotte speedway sponsored by the same company that backs his racecar.

This is what he does.

And now, most recently, Juan Montoya in Mexico. NASCAR's only Latin American stop is won by the sport's only Latin American star, and conspiracy theories are spawned anew. People whisper, complain, rant about fixes or predestined results. The same thing happened after Petty earned his 200th victory at Daytona. The same thing happened after Gordon, a native Californian, won the first race at California Speedway. The same thing happened when Johnson won four in a row at Lowe's Motor Speedway driving a Lowe's car.

There are so many others. Junior at Daytona. Steve Park at Rockingham. Kevin Harvick at Atlanta. Gordon at Indianapolis. Terry Labonte at Darlington. Each one elicits the same look of startled amazement between race fans. Each one leaves the dubious shaking their heads. Each one generates more publicity for NASCAR, and raises the sport's national profile just a little more. (Continued)