TALLADEGA, Ala. - The season opened with a cheating scandal that threatened the integrity of NASCAR's biggest race of the year. A mere two months later, its credibility is again under scrutiny because Tony Stewart likened the sport to professional wrestling.

Even though the two-time champion, retracted his comments, the damage was already done. At a time when NASCAR is fighting sagging television ratings, flat attendance and a court challenge over sponsorship that could shake the entire sport, Stewart's rant was the last thing it needed.

At the heart of Stewart's rant were allegations that NASCAR manipulates its events by using bogus debris cautions to orchestrate closer racing. The races are fake, he indicated, just like wrestling.

"I don't know that they've run a fair race all year," he said on his weekly radio show.

His initial assessment struck a chord, particularly because those very debris cautions are so often debated throughout the garage, in the grandstands and even the television booth. Sometimes the debris can be spotted by everyone, but other times the drivers on the track can't even find it.

"I don't know that it's on us to sit down with Darrell Waltrip and convince him we are doing it right," Helton said. "He made a good career out of this sport. He won three championships and he and his family have a nice quality of life with it, and I recall on occasion he himself throwing out pieces of debris on the race track to get a caution to benefit himself.

"If he chooses to address that differently today in the position he's now in, you have to ask him."