Nascar and Drug Use In The Sport

Drugs In NASCAR Racing

When examining other major sports, it seems that NASCAR has been spared the worst of the serious drug use controversies. The most notable driver to be suspended due to a failed drug test was 13-time race winner Tim Richmond in 1988.

He became a part of Hendrick Motorsports and was well on the way to reaching superstar status, regularly appearing on the nascar schedule. In the aftermath, Richmond denied any drug use and it was later discovered that medications taken for cold symptoms were the cause of the positive testing.

Regardless, NASCAR officials no longer wanted Richmond in the sport. He was losing weight due to an illness, but unbeknownst to NASCAR, Richmond was dying of AIDS. From NASCAR's perspective, the weight loss and subsequent health problems must be the result of drugs; rumors in the Cup garage supported this assumption.

Richmond passed away in 1989 from AIDS-related complications.

Since Tim Richmond's unceremonious removal from the sport two decades ago, very few drivers have faced the wrath of NASCAR because of illegal substances. Shane Hmiel, Kevin Grubb, Tyler Walker, and Aaron Fike have been suspended in recent years. Grubb and Hmiel received lifetime bans after failing drug screenings following reinstatements from a previous suspension due to drugs.

Hmiel is the son of Steve Hmiel, a long-time mechanic who has worked for companies such as Roush Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Chip Ganassi Racing in recent years. Hmiel was a racer with serious talent and many described him as one of the more talented rookie drivers of the last decade, but his substance abuse issues were the undoing of his promising driving career.

Grubb was another hot young racer back in the late 1990s. He enjoyed moderate success in the Busch, now Nationwide Series before failing a drug test in 2003. Grubb was reinstated in 2006, and suspended again in 2007. Grubb committed suicide in May 2009, drying of gunshot wound to the head.

The driver Tyler Walker, suspended in 2006 for failing his drug test, is also friends with Spring Cup Series driver, Kasey Kahne. Tyler has yet to file for NASCAR reinstatement.

For Aaron Fike, NASCAR suspension only came after a theme park arrest for heroin possession. While being interviewed by ESPN 'The Magazine,' he admitted to heroin use on the day of a race. Needless to say, the Fike interview was a shocking blow to NASCAR.

Until this latest racing season, NASCAR officials had reserved drug testing for those drivers under suspicion for illicit drug abuse. Now, it is official policy for NASCAR to issue random screenings for both drivers and crewmembers during the course of the season using Aegis Science Corp. Labs, and overseen by Dr. David Black.

Several crewmembers were recently suspended for testing positive for illegal drugs.
Jeremy Mayfield, another big name in NASCAR has been put on indefinite suspension following a positive testing for drugs back on May 9 at Darlington Raceway.

Mayfield's claim is that the positive result is due to a combination of Claritin-D, an allergy medication, and a legally prescribed medication. Nonetheless, NASCAR officials as well as Dr. Black have publically ruled against Mayfield in the matter.
Mayfield is standing by his innocence, and has hired a lawyer, Bill Diehl. There appears to be a legal suit in NASCAR's very near future.

Although NASCAR has not revealed the supposed substance, and Mayfield was totally ignorant of this illegal substance until recently. He and his lawyer received reports earlier in the week.

Essentially, it comes down as Mayfield's word against theirs, and the case will probably be resolved outside of court. This latest event has many turning a critical eye towards NASCAR. Still, there isn't necessarily any reason for concern for the nascar schedule.

The coverage of Mayfield's legal protests have sidetracked many notable events coming out of NASCAR that could mean some good press for a change. Much of this is about the fact that drug issues are still a rarer thing in NASCAR than they are in the NBA, NFL, MLB, or the NHL.

The random drug screening process is an improvement from the screening only on reasonable suspicion approach. The real flaw in this new approach is that NASCAR hasn't given out a list of substances it has banned to the public. NASCAR wants to be in control of what is and isn't acceptable. With information like the banned substance list in their hands, both crewmembers and drivers would know what is acceptable and what is not.

As with other professional sports, drug use is prohibited by NASCAR.

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