Helton defends NASCAR’s drug testing policy
Quote selected text Published April 13th, 2008 in NASCAR News
The call earlier this week for regular random drug testing by some of NASCAR’s biggest stars apparently will not change the sanctioning organization’s current policy of testing only for “reasonable suspicion.”
But NASCAR president Mike Helton said the reaction by the drivers to the published report that former truck and Nationwide driver Aaron Fike used heroin the same day he drove in some races is a positive sign for the stock car sport.
Referring to the story in the April 21 edition of ESPN The Magazine, Helton said, “When you have a headline like that and the other athletes rare up on it and react like they did, that’s a positive thing.
“The [NASCAR] community polices the community,” Helton added in an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. “The positiveness of all the drivers talking and everything, I think, echoes the responsibility that exists in this sport to avoid all that and to police all that. That’s why we think that the reasonable suspicion policy works as an umbrella from a NASCAR perspective.”
Helton said he does not know of any policy that can guarantee that no driver will ever race while under the influence of some substance any more than anyone could guarantee that an athlete in another sport will not abuse something on game day.
“The other part though is the fact that when we do find a situation and we do authenticate the abuse of a substance, it is a severe reaction,” Helton said. “It’s not just a couple of weeks off, it’s a very severe, career-changing reaction from us that I think speaks loudly.”
Bookmark to:
- Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR teams implementing drug testing
- NASCAR investigates changing drug-testing policy
- Harvick and Burton call for more drug testing in NASCAR
- Former CTS driver Fike admits shooting heroin on race days
- NASCAR drivers upset over lack of drug testing
Ehh He doesn’t need to reform it because soon enough Congress will step in like they have most other sports and force them to reform it.
All it will take is a few unexpected situations for that to happen but for the record i agree with Harvick and Burton on this one.
I’ve been thinking about this, and while I am against a Drivers union, I think the one thing that has a good chance of the drivers banding together and starting a union is Drug Testing, and in this case the Drivers wanting more of it then the sanctioning body wants.
Burton makes a good point on both issues of drug testing and a drivers union…
What Im wondering is now that NASCAR is on the record for not doing the tests what will happen if a driver in any series is involved in a wreck that causes injures and is found out to have been using drugs ?? How will that play for NASCAR in the press… Or as will probably happen we will never hear about it….
What a croc! Why does it have to take someone to be suspicious to get a drug test? Was Fike under the glass eye? No, he got arrested by authorities and then drug tested. They need to be drug testing everyone!
Wake up Helton drugs are everywhere,not only illegal but legal drugs they shouldn’t take while racing..
I think NASCAR needs to start random testing. Its not knee jerk reaction to start doing this. NASCAR is different then any other sport. If somebody makes a poor decision b/c they are under the influence they could hurt or even kill somebody. Time for a change.
I think the policy is fine just the way it is. If no one is suspecting you of doing something detrimental to the race, why waste the time and money of those drivers. If they are doing something, say smoking a bit of weed now and again, so what if they arent smoking right before a reace, it will not affect them in any manor and as long as they are not showing any signs of ABUSE ( way different than use) there is no need to bother them. The idea of “random tests” are a joke plain and simple you test those you suspect have a problem so you can get them help. This isnt a law issue, this is a health and safety issue.
Ganja:
Me think you been stroking the weed to long to have a unbiased point of view on this subject, DUDE.
Anything you take affects you in some way. Doing “drugs” can adversely effect your judgement and motor skills.
Anybody that gets into a race car and drives at these speeds this close together has to be drug free for every ones safety.
Random testing is a measure of safety for all concerned. NASCAR, just do it…
Let’s see, 180 MPH + on nearly every track other than short tracks and road courses, and no random drug testing. Can’t compare NASCAR to other sports - no where else do they race 2 ton machines at these speeds. I certainly wouldn’t want to race with some junkie and put my life on the line 36 weeks a year. If they don’t adopt something to address this they’re out of their minds.