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TALLADEGA, Ala. - Before he was allowed in the racetrack, NASCAR made sure Tony Stewart knew the rules.
Summoned to an early-morning meeting Friday morning with top series officials, the two-time champion retracted every bit of the sharp rant he launched against NASCAR while admitting he damaged the sport's credibility by likening it to professional wrestling.
''I'm sure I did hurt the integrity of it, and unfairly,'' he said.
Although Stewart wasn't punished for the comments he made on his weekly Sirius Satellite Radio show, NASCAR did fine him $10,000 for skipping a postrace news conference in Phoenix last week. He also was placed on probation through the end of the year.
''I can assure you, Tony Stewart knows where he stands with NASCAR right now,'' spokesman Jim Hunter said.
That was obvious as a humbled Stewart issued several mea culpas after his hour-long meeting with NASCAR. His team was forbidden from unloading Stewart's car until the meeting concluded, forcing his crew to wait at Talladega Superspeedway while the driver met with president Mike Helton, competition director Robin Pemberton and series director John Darby.
''It's a little tender for me to sit down right now,'' Stewart deadpanned after the meeting.
But Stewart otherwise was serious about the controversy he started by accusing NASCAR of using bogus debris cautions to orchestrate the races. The comments were made on his Tuesday night radio show.
Some believed Stewart should have been punished severely.
''He's a spoiled little brat,'' rival car owner Felix Sabates said. ''NASCAR should suspend him - park him for the rest of year. Irresponsible comments like that affect the entire sport. If he was my driver, I would have fired him on the spot.
''If he wasn't driving a race car, he'd be pumping gas at a service station because his personality wouldn't get him hired anywhere else.''
But it's Stewart's personality - and his willingness to speak his mind - that has made him one of NASCAR's most popular drivers. His nine-year career has been rife with on-track dominance that's often overshadowed by his off-track blunders.
''He's like the Rosie O'Donnell of NASCAR,'' four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said. ''Controversy is something that he's used to. To me, it brings a flavor to the sport.''
In this case, it also brought unfavorable attention.
Weary of untimely debris cautions this season, Stewart used his radio show to question the validity of them. He alleged that NASCAR calls for them when the leader is running away with a race or when a favorite driver is about to be lapped.