Give Denny Hamlin credit. No, not for spanking the field Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, although he deserves plenty for that. Give him credit for tactfully and disarmingly bringing up a subject that in NASCAR is so taboo, it got Tony Stewart rustled out of bed at 6 o'clock in the morning three years ago.

Yes, we're talking about the legitimacy of late-race debris cautions, a topic that had people stomping and stammering after Hamlin's nine-second lead was wiped out by just such a yellow flag with only a handful of laps remaining. Kasey Kahne, the event's eventual runner-up, said he saw the debris in question, calling it "a big piece." NASCAR certainly did, explaining Monday that it was located off Turn 2 and in the beginning of the back straightaway, and was large enough to ruin somebody's day should they run over it. But television never got a clear picture, and after the race Hamlin unlatched Pandora's Box and kicked the thing wide open.

“

I knew that debris caution was coming. We've got to do what's right for the fans, and they need to see a great race at the end.

”

-- DENNY HAMLIN

"You know, I understand this is show business," he said. "No, I didn't see any debris, if that's what you're asking. I mean, we typically get [late debris cautions] every single week. I'm not going to say it's accepted, but what can you do?"

And with that, the conspiracy theories began to spin, and the black helicopters began to take flight, and the old insinuation that NASCAR has worked so hard to distance itself from -- manipulating race finishes to heighten entertainment value -- came roaring back, just like that black and orange No. 11 car in an opponent's rearview mirror. The strange thing is, nobody seemed particularly bothered by the concept, giving you the distinct impression that within the garage area, this stuff is accepted as fact. If that's the case, no wonder the people in the grandstands are seeing shadows around every corner.

"I knew a caution was coming, so I might as well just back off and save my tires," Hamlin added. "I knew that debris caution was coming. We've got to do what's right for the fans, and they need to see a great race at the end."

Is anyone disturbed by that kind of talk, by the inference that this is all one great marionette show, and someone from on high is pulling the strings? Evidently not television commentator and two-time Daytona 500 Michael Waltrip, who weighed in via his Twitter feed: "I am a huge fan of a late caution," he wrote. "In basketball [they] just call it what it is. A TV time out. In football [it's] the break in change of possessions. In baseball [it's] either a walk to the mound or the end of an inning. [It's] sports. NASCAR needs to have those too." (Continued)