NASCAR Drug Testing
Posted by GEORGE January 15, 2009 6:06:57 AM
NASCAR teams have until tomorrow to provide NASCAR with a list of employees who have passed drug tests. To obtain a 2009 NASCAR license, each employee must be tested for drugs. Anyone found abusing drugs is out of NASCAR, and out of a job. This includes over-the-wall crew members, crew chiefs, support people, spotters, and everyone who works in the shop.
The exception is drivers, but they will not be left out as NASCAR will oversee testing of the drivers themselves. Those tests will start the week of January 20, and any driver who fails will be suspended indefinitely. In addition, NASCAR will test randomly every race weekend.
There is a list of drugs which are not acceptable, including some sleep aids and marijuana. New rules apply to the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series.
NASCAR has finally become serious about drugs in NASCAR racing, and I'm all for it. There's no room for drugs in any sport, but drugs and 200 mile per hour speeds don't mix. An NBA or a major league baseball player is killing themselves, but a NASCAR driver or crew member is taking the lives of everyone involved in the race into their hands, including the NASCAR fans in the stands.
I applaud the efforts of drivers such as Matt Kenseth who voluntarily began drug testing of employees last year. And now I applaud NASCAR for making it official, and requiring all teams to participate.
NASCAR has announced that all of the drivers passed their pre-season drug test.
Posted by: george | 31 January 2009 at 07:02 AM