NASCAR and Drugs

CUP: Fike Revelation Stirs Drug Debate
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Written by: Tom Jensen 04/10/2008 - 06:14 PM
Phoenix, Arizona Aaron Fike's drug confession worked up some of the drivers at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images Photo) » More Photos
Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racer Aaron Fike’s admission that he used heroin on race days once again has fueled debate in the garage about NASCAR’s drug-testing policy.

NASCAR can test anyone whenever it wants, but it does not publicize results of its tests unless it suspends someone for failing a test. Over the past several years, some drivers have complained they’ve never been tested.

Fike, who has been suspended from NASCAR since his heroin arrest last year, recently told ESPN The Magazine that he used the drug sometimes on race day and was addicted to painkillers as well. And that had drivers fired up at Phoenix on Friday.

“I guarantee that he’s not the first guy and probably not going to be the last guy,” Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman said of Fike. “I don’t know what to tell you other than that.”

“I have been in a race with him and I know for a fact that he’s not the only one (who raced on drugs),” said a visibly angry Kevin Harvick. “There’s another driver that is suspended that I can almost guarantee you was in a race car while he was under the influence and that pisses me off. That is not fair to the 95 percent of this garage and that’s the bad part about it is 95 percent of this garage I can guarantee you is clean, but there’s a 5 percent chance - it’s just like the safety thing back in 2001 the reason that we reacted to it, we weren’t proactive until that situation happened.”

NASCAR’s Kerry Tharp defending the sanctioning body’s track record and policy. “The responsibility here rests across the board - with the drivers and competitors, owners and teams and NASCAR,” said Tharp. “We test an individual when we have reasonable suspicion and a positive test results in severe consequences and is a career-changing moment for that person. NASCAR’s policy is also supported by the various policies that the teams have in place that are required under the driver/owner agreements. No system is flawless; but we believe our zero tolerance policy that is in place has served the sport well.”

Still, some drivers wanted stricter sanctions.

“There’s no reason not to be proactive in the state of the world of sports, there’s no reason not to be proactive in the drug situation and that to me is irresponsible more than it is anything,” Harvick said. “I’m sure I’ll be blasted from somebody for saying what I feel but I don’t want to be on the race track with people like that.”

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, like several of his peers, said he was in favor of NASCAR doing more drug testing.

“I’m all for it - I would love it,” Stewart said. “I’ve never been asked to take one yet and I think it should be mandatory that we have random drug testing all the time. I think non-stop through the year. Obviously with this happening, as an organization we aren’t doing a good job of seeing it before it happens. Aaron (Fike) coming out and saying that obviously is an indication we need to do a better job than what we are currently doing. I’m all for random drug testing from the time we go to Daytona until the time we finish the season at Homestead - I think it’s a great idea.”

Meanwhile, several sources who spoke to SPEEDTV.com on the condition of anonymity said they’d had concerns about Fike previously.

One driver who did go on the record was Kasey Kahne. “I don’t feel like I race with guys on drugs, but at the same time there are certain people you wonder about at sometimes,” said Kahne. “I definitely wondered about Aaron Fike the last year he was in Nationwide or whatever he was racing. I always wondered. I really had no clue why he raced for as long as he did.”