Jan 4, 2009

NASCAR's New Drug Testing Policy Welcome

By JR Nerad

Compared to the stick-and-ball sports, NASCAR has a good reputation when it comes to drug use. That is not to say that all of its drivers and crew members are drug-free, but certainly NASCAR has never had the scandals that have rocked baseball, football and basketball when it comes to drugs. Because of this, perhaps NASCAR brass was a bit complacent about drug use, but that changed radically with the revelation that Aaron Fike, a driver who participated in what was then its Craftsman Truck Series, was a heroin user. Just the specter of a NASCAR driver on drugs while on the track changed the whole dynamic, and it brought strong calls, including from this column, to take a much harder stance on drugs.

After a moment's hesitation, NASCAR, to its credit, did just that. Starting this month NASCAR will begin testing its drivers and crew members for a variety of substances, some of which are not illegal, in an effort to keep its racers as safe as they can be. According to a recent report by the Associated Press, the crew members will be tested for a defined list of substances that includes ingredients that might be used in cold, flu and allergy medicines, so over-the-wall crew members might have more obvious cases of sniffles this coming year. But more to the point, they won't be taking medicines that could impair their judgment at crucial times when that might endanger their safety or the safety of others.

NASCAR drivers will be subject to even more serious scrutiny. While crew members apparently won't be tested for "performance-enhancing" drugs like steroids, drivers will. In fact, NASCAR is asserting the right to test on-track competitors for any substance at any time, which is as it should be.

The new policy will require drivers and crew members to be vigilant about the prescription and over-the-counter medications they take, and there is the possibility of "innocent" violations of the new drug policy in these areas. But it is more important that driver and crew be clearheaded on race day than operating under the influences of substances that might impair their ability to think clearly when so much is riding on their decisions.

The year 2009 will have its challenges, but in NASCAR it seems that a drug scandal won't be one of them.

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