DOVER, Del — NASCAR has toughened its drug policy and will do random tests in 2009 on everyone in the three national series — from star Chase drivers to anonymous tire changers.
All drivers, over-the-wall crew members and officials will be tested before the start of next season, and will also be subject to random tests throughout the year.
The amended policy for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks series kicks in at preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway.
“This is more of a reaction to the modern responsibilities that we also have, not just in NASCAR, but the whole community of sports,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said on Saturday. “I think the industry feels like that’s the right thing to do.”
NASCAR did not reveal a list of banned substances and it reserved the right to test for any substance — anything from steroids to prescription medicines — if there was suspicion of abuse. Under NASCAR’s current policy, testing is only done when there is a “reasonable suspicion” someone is using banned substances.
Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s vice president of racing operations, noted that other professional leagues have changed their drug policies to adapt to perceived problems.
“We know there’s new drugs out there every day,” O’Donnell said. “By having a broad policy that doesn’t list anything, we feel like we can test for any substance that may be abused.”
O’Donnell said NASCAR will go public with anyone who flunks an original ‘A’ sample and backup ‘B’ sample test. While NASCAR reserved the right issue a lifetime ban after one positive result, O’Donnell said the sport would likely continue with a “three strikes-and-out” policy.
NASCAR told teams of the stricter policy at a mandatory meeting Saturday at Dover International Speedway. Teams in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also were notified of the changes.
“If you’re going to say you’re a clean sport, you’ve got to have it through the entire sport,” Chase driver Denny Hamlin said. “You can’t just have it with the drivers, so I think that’s going to be a great thing.”
NASCAR expected to test 12 to 14 individuals per series each weekend in 2009. NASCAR is responsible for the cost of all testing, except owners will pay for the preseason licensed crew member tests.
“This is not shooting hoops. This is not hitting a fastball,” veteran driver Kyle Petty said. “This is life and death. In a sport like this, everything should be black and white. Everything should be off limits.”
Attention on the existing policy increased when former Truck Series driver Aaron Fike admitted to ESPN The Magazine that he had used heroin — even on days he raced. That led a number of drivers, including Kevin Harvick and two-time series champion Tony Stewart, to call on NASCAR to add random drug testing.
“It’s a great step for our sport,” Harvick said. “It’s something they put a lot of thought into and really just made sure they covered all their bases with everything they’ve done.”
Steroid use and other performance-enhancing drugs have never really been believed to be a problem in NASCAR. Drivers, owners and other officials liked to boast that NASCAR was the cleanest sport of them all.
Now, unified random testing can prove it.
“I like it more for the crew members’ standpoint,” Hamlin said. “I like it more that there’s nothing being abused on pit road. That, more than anything, worries me. And it’s not necessarily the guys we race against. I think it’s a clean sport in my opinion, but to implement it across the board is a great job.”
Trucks driver Ron Hornaday recently admitted he used a testosterone cream during 2004 and 2005 to treat a medical issue. Hornaday has Grave’s disease, a condition he is now treating with Synthroid, which replaces a hormone normally produced by the thyroid gland to regulate the body’s energy and metabolism.
NASCAR did not punish him for the testosterone admission because the cream did not enhance his performance or impair his judgment.
Harvick and his wife own Hornaday’s truck team, and Kevin Harvick Inc. had already adopted a form of random drug testing. Harvick said NASCAR’s sweeping policy was similar to the one already in place for his team.
“It’s not something that’s cheap to do and they’re putting a lot on the line to make sure that it’s right,” Harvick said.
Helton said NASCAR carefully considered how it would change the policy, and looked at different programs in other sports for guidance.
“It’s a sign of the times that we’ve got to do that sort of thing,” owner Jack Roush said. “The public conscience requires it.”
Roush did add that random testing was “late coming.”
Now that it’s here, NASCAR is in line with other sports like baseball and football that have stringent drug policies.
“They’ve preached about being a clean sport and this is the way to back it up,” Hamlin said.
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