Fike Revelation Stirs Drug Debate
04-10-2008 5:53 pm

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 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.

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