NASCAR SPRINT CUP AND NATIONWIDE SERIES NEWS, VIEWS AND COMMENTARY

it's just my opinion

NASCAR's Drug testing policy

By Sue Kellogg

Last week’s admission from Aaron Fike about his drug usage during NASCAR races has everyone even remotely connected to NASCAR, talking about exactly how that could have happened. Now everyone is watching NASCAR to see exactly what they will do about this?  What is the policy that NASCAR has on drug testing drivers? 

I had the pleasure of meeting Fike three years ago in Las Vegas while he was racing in the Nationwide Series.  He appeared to be an extremely nice young man who was trying to make his mark in the NASCAR series.  His team seemed to struggle in the Nationwide series and he ended up losing that ride. I was nice to see that he started driving for another team in the Craftsman truck series and he and that team was doing well.  When he was arrested last year on the drug charges there was a lot of NASCAR folks, as well as myself, that were shocked, surprised and disappointed.  

NASCAR officials have stated that their policy for drug testing is “reasonable suspicion” that a driver may be using drugs. Obviously in this case that policy failed.  What is really concerning is Fike’s admission that he was using heroin before getting into his truck and going on the track to race with 36 other trucks.  Did no one from his team notice that he was stoned?  Did he not realize that he was putting himself and thirty-five other drivers at risk? Kevin Harvick has been vocal in saying that it just fell on deaf ears when he had lobbied NASCAR for tougher drug testing procedures.

It would appear that NASCAR is standing by their “reasonable suspicion” policy. NASCAR only tests someone if they feel that driver may have a problem and we all know how well that works. Despite all the drivers agreeing to randomly drug tested at any time during the season, the fact is that testing only happens rarely.  Unfortunately, NASCAR is like any other sport when it comes to drug usage within their sport, it happens. However, NASCAR is different than other sports due to the zero tolerance policy that they stand by what they say.  NASCAR though needs to use this as a wake up call and create new procedures for drug testing.  

Don’t wait for suspicion, NASCAR needs to start random drug testing on drivers and teams in order to keep this sport safe. Team owners need to take some responsibility also for drug testing and start start policing themselves by doing random drug testing themselves. In order to keep the sport safe for everyone involved, everyone involved in the sport needs to take the proactive route and start being aggressive in order to stop situations like Fike's from happening in the future.  

The drivers and teams are putting their lives at risk every week doing what they love to do without the thought that any driver on the track may be high on anything. Us fans need to know that NASCAR has done everything possible from within to make sure that the drivers that we follow each and every week are as safe as possible. No one, not NASCAR, the drivers nor the fans needs the added pressure of wondering if any of the drivers are getting high and then getting in a truck or car with everyone else. 

NASCAR has made huge steps to making sure that the drivers and teams are safe at all times while events are transpiring on the track with such things as the COT cars, helmets for crew members, etc. Now they need to also make sure that they protect everyone from the dangers involved with drug use by invoking random drug testing at every level of NASCAR. 

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