I have been catching the tale end of the discussions on Sirius NASCAR radio this week regarding drug testing in NASCAR. According to Aaron Fike’s interview in ESPN The Magazine this week, he reveals that he competed in races under the influence of heroin. I know NASCAR drug tests drivers, but if I understand it correctly only if their is a suspicion of drug use by the driver.
Should there be random drug testing in NASCAR? For I have never had a problem with random drug testing whether it’s at an employer or in professional sports. My opinion, if you are not doing anything wrong, then take the test. Some people claim drug testing is a violation of your will say it violates your constitutional rights. I don’t see it that way. When you decide to apply for a job that drug test its employees, you know going into the interview for the job what the conditions are for employment. The same can be said for competing in sports on a professional level.
I don’t think NASCAR is immune to their athletes using drugs. Like athletes in other professional sports, the expectation to succeed is there every single week the driver steps onto the track. Unlike other sports though, the drivers face this pressure to succeed from a variety of people from the car owner, to the sponsor and to even us fans. The pressure is ever increasing as more and more drivers try to complete in NASCAR. NASCAR doesn’t seem to have as big as of a problem as in the other professional sports. Hopefully NASCAR will step back and take a look at their drug policy and see if changes are needed.
What are you thoughts out there?
April 11, 2008 at 5:43 am
Many of the teams have drug testing policies of their own, at least on the Sprint Cup level. Some teams test as a matter of their own policy, some because it is required by the sponsor, and some as a requirement by their insurance carrier. If NASCAR were to adapt a blankent policy on drug testing for all the teams, with the sanctioning body in charge, the costs would be prohibitive. The least expensive drug tests only have a 71% accuracy rate, which means there is a 29% chance of false positives. These tests cost sixty dollars per person per test. Not only the drivers, but all members of the team, including cooks, hauler drivers, and coach drivers; all the pit crew, garage mechanics, tire mounters; crew chiefs, engineers, and owners, would have to be tested, on every team that shows up at the track, in order to make sure there is no violation of civil rights. Oh, and all NASCAR and track officials would also have to be included. We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars here for each event. And you think ticket prices are high now?
Not to mention what the false positives could do to a season.
NASCAR’s policy of the teams and drivers policing themselves and each other has worked over the years. The drivers are professionals and they can tell when somebody is too messed up to drive. And, I imagine, in spite of his honesty or remorse, if any Aaron Fike showed up around a driver now that he has admitted he was high on race day, he wouldn’t have any of the teeth he has now left.
April 11, 2008 at 6:04 am
Sorry about the length of my previous comment, but this is a very interesting and important subject, and my comment was my opinion on the matter, about which I have plenty of thoughts!
Thank you for posting, this is a very good topic for discussion.
April 11, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I seem to recall drugs were a great problem in the seventies for the NBA. It took Michael Jordan to take them out of that tailspin.
For me it is hard to believe that drugs are a big issue in NASCAR, particularly narcotics that would dull reaction time and response to critical situations.
The dude is lucky he didn’t wreck and take himself out. If there are drug issues within NASCAR it is far more likely they are using stimulants and not depressants, if they using any kind of drugs.
Then again the question of Steroids is always just a thought away.
April 11, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Bob took this up yesterday in his NASCAR Ranting and Raving blog (http://4ever3canadianeh.blogspot.com/).
I think everyone agrees that drugs and driving at 200MPH aren’t a good mix, though I’m a little rueful at the sanitization of sport that threatens to make it too squeaky-clean and corporate. Good for the money-makers, perhaps, but I think the roots image of NASCAR is fading. Most of the original NASCAR drivers cut their teeth running moonshine on dark Appalachian mountain roads.
April 11, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I agree. I think the type of drugs they may be used are going to differ from perhaps other sports. With the schedules these drivers keep year round they might need something to keep going (i.e. stimulants). I can’t even imagine a driver wanting to take that chance. I know how it is when I have taken my allergy medication and how I can get. I know this is probably out there somewhere, but is there a time frame drivers cannot have meds? For example, my friend’s hubby who is a pilot has to be refrain from medication so many hours before flying. Is this case with NASCAR drivers?
April 12, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Great thoughts by all. I don’t think it will be possible to institute drug-testing by NASCAR without a collectively-bargained agreement. That would create a driver’s union that I really don’t want to see right now. The best way is to have this done in a very transparent manner by the team’s themselves and make it a condition of employment.
Thanks for the fine blog.
Ryan Hyatt
April 15, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I have to say…Thanks for Williams and Hyatt for stopping by. They have a great local sports radio show at here in Raiderland. Their link is on my website.
Woo Hoo!