NASCAR Asleep at the Wheel

So, who wants to shoot up some heroin, jump in a 3200 lbs race car and drive at a 180 mph? Anyone? Hello? What, no takers? I didn't think so. You have to be a complete idiot to even think of attempting such a moronic stunt. Right? Well, that's exactly what Aaron Fike did on more than one occasion while competing in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. Fike admits to his race day habit in the latest edition of ESPN the Magazine.

Keep in mind NASCAR did not catch Fike through drug testing. In fact, apparently no one in the sport was aware of his habit until he was arrested last year in Ohio on heroin possession charges. NASCAR has since suspended Fike indefinitely under their "zero tolerance" policy. Zero tolerance? Huh? What exactly does NASCAR consider "zero tolerance? In my opinion, zero tolerance means taking a PROACTIVE approach to the situation. That means every driver, crew member and official receives more than one random drug test through out the course of the season. Here's what NASCAR, in a nutshell, considers zero tolerance: NASCAR's substance-abuse policy includes the right to test any driver at any time, but officials only do so if they believe a competitor might have a problem. "The responsibility here rests across the board -- with the drivers and competitors, owners, teams and NASCAR," said Kerry Tharp, NASCAR's director of communication. "We test an individual when we have reasonable suspicion. A positive test results in severe consequences and is a career-changing moment for that person. (Thanks to http://www.jayski.com/) Reasonable suspicion? Well, I don't know about you, but it doesn't appear the whole "reasonable suspicion" approach worked in Fike's case. What will it take for NASCAR to instate a REASONABLE policy that includes random drug testing? This is a very reactive organization. It took losing Dale Earnhardt to make the various safety changes on the tracks and in the cars. Will it take something similar in this case? Bottom line, NASCAR is afraid to drug test. They are afraid a big name will return a positive result and they don't want that embarrassment. Instead, they would rather risk the lives of the competitors to save a little face.