A little more clarity, and a little less 'show business'

NASCAR walks tightrope between sports, entertainment

(By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM) - 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.

"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?"