For NASCAR, Stewart's remarks aren't all negative

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- They come in every day by the bushel. Screeds and manifestos from that small but vocal minority within the NASCAR fan base that believes in Roswell and black helicopters and second shooters on a grassy knoll. They weave conspiracy theories so outrageous, you become convinced that NASCAR chairman Brian France is personally laying down spike strips so a Hendrick car can win.

Virtually every writer who covers NASCAR gets them, those e-mails riddled with spelling errors or randomly-placed uppercase letters, written in such a rush of anger that sometimes they hardly make sense. They claim NASCAR is fixed so Dale Earnhardt Jr. can win. Or Hendrick Motorsports can win. Or Juan Montoya can win. And so it goes, over and over, until your inbox is about to explode.

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These are people who claim to be disillusioned traditional fans of the sport, but somehow have slipped into X-Files territory. And Tony Stewart has whipped them into a frenzy.

Because by making comments on a satellite radio program earlier this week likening NASCAR to pro wrestling and questioning the validity of debris cautions, the two-time Nextel Cup champion gave an authoritative voice to those who believe series officials are manipulating events. It's a ridiculous notion, especially in a sport like NASCAR, where so much is out in the open, and secrets are near impossible to keep. But it's there. It's been there for a long time. And it slowly erodes the integrity of the sport, like dripping water erodes a rock.

Some have wondered if Stewart's comments, for which he was roundly chastised by series officials on Friday, have damaged the circuit's credibility. This is nothing new; like cheating scandals, credibility issues seem to arise every few years. Remember Jimmy Spencer, after Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 2001 Pepsi 400? Had Mark Martin been less tactful and the host of a radio program, the same furor could have erupted after the Daytona 500. Once on an official race report, the reason for a caution was listed as "TBD." Press box wags immediately deciphered it as "To Benefit Dale."

That level of eyebrow-raising cynicism has always been there, and in many ways is fostered by NASCAR itself through the inconsistencies and conflicts of interest that are rife throughout the sport. Throw a caution for a spring rubber, but not when Clint Bowyer's car goes upside down? Suspend one crew chief but not another? Everything is a judgment call. Everybody has a piece of the action. Drivers own other racecars, sisters of series chairmen run track conglomerates, team sponsors are also official sponsors of NASCAR. Penalties vary wildly. Everybody has a hand in everybody else's pocket. (Continued)