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NASCAR

NASCAR amends substance-abuse policy to include random drug testing in '09

By SceneDaily.com

Sep 22, 2008

DOVER, Del. – NASCAR announced today it has amended its substance-abuse policy to include random testing beginning in 2009.

NASCAR did not specify which drugs it would test for, indicating in a statement that “a violation of the policy can be triggered with the use of any drug or medication if NASCAR believes it has been abused or misused.”

All drugs that are illegal in any form, if found in a driver’s system, are considered drug abuse. Any other drug, prescribed or not, can be considered abused if NASCAR determines that it is a safety issue, NASCAR Vice President Steve O’Donnell said Saturday. That would include caffeine, alcohol, steroids, etc.

“We think we have the broadest policy in all of sports,” O’Donnell said during a news conference at Dover International Speedway. “The reason we don't have a list is we believe that a list is restrictive. If you've seen with a lot of other leagues, the policy is constantly changing. We know that there's new drugs out there every day. By having a broad policy that doesn't list anything, we feel like we can test for any substance that may be abused, no different than our policy is today.

“I want to be clear on that. We've never had a list. It states right now in our policy that cough medicine could be abused if you're taking that too much and it's going to affect the safety on the race track. That won't change. We'll test for anything. Our experts are very familiar with prescriptions people may be taking and legitimate medications, but we will not have a list.”

NASCAR drug-testing consultant AEGIS Sciences Corporation will test all drivers at Daytona in January. All drivers in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the truck series will be tested.

“Any substance-abuse test that we'll do, it will be broad, sweeping and comprehensive,” O’Donnell said. “Normally the categories you can look at are any narcotic that can be abused, beta blockers and steroids.

“Those are kind of the three key areas that we'll look at. But beyond that, we've got the capability to test for any substance.”

AEGIS also will conduct random testing of all drivers, over-the-wall crew members and NASCAR officials throughout the season. O’Donnell said random testing will occur at virtually every event with at least a dozen people being tested and with at least two drivers from each series giving samples.

NASCAR reserves the right to conduct testing through urine, blood and saliva.

Car owners will be required to certify that all licensed crew members have passed a drug test prior to the start of the 2009 season.

The penalties remain the same: A failed test will result in immediate indefinite suspension. A third violation of the policy will automatically result in a lifetime ban.

Also the same is that when a driver is tested, two samples are taken and if the first one is positive, the second one is tested to confirm the result. Any driver or crew member who fails to show up at a test will be considered to have failed the test.

And NASCAR will continue its policy of not announcing publicly who it tests or the results. It will only make the results public when someone fails a test.

“We have made a very good policy even better with the addition of random tests,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France in a statement. “NASCAR’s policy has long given us the ability to test anyone, anywhere, at any time. Random tests now provide us and the industry with additional information.”