NASCAR Drivers Don't Use Drugs
Tuesday July 31, 2007
Drugs seem to have become a way of life in professional sports.
- The 2007 Tour De France which recently finished in Paris saw a number of top riders disqualified for using illegal substances.
- Accused steroid user Barry Bonds will probably set the all-time home run record soon.
- The NFL recently kicked off another steroid scandal in the wake of an arrest in New York.
Comments
I dont think drivers need Steroids to improve .Driving is more mental .Staying in shape would help with all that heat im sure !As for the illegal Drugs i couldn’t imagine being high at 200 miles an hour,door to door .Nascar has done a good job with their drivers .Plus if i recall they have helped guys who happen to cross that line .I bet even a hangover could spell disaster in this sport !
I am so glad Nascar does not all it in anyway. Drugs are bad. I wish there was a way to rid the earth with them.
Drug useage and antics on and off the field is why I have quit watching most other sports. Racing is now the only sport I watch. Actually the other “sports” are really only games.
NASCAR has done well so far, they should implement mandatory random testing for all drivers, team memebers and officails just to stay on top of it.
no they just get dui’s
As a passionate fan of both cycling and Nascar, I wanted to point out that cycling indeed does have a zero tolerance. The leader of the Tour was kicked out, not for doping (he passed 14 drug tests during the Tour!) but for suspicious behavior. One of the fan favorites, Vino, was kicked out immediately after a positive test (not for drugs, but for using blood transfusions to increase his oxygen production). The Nascar equivalent would be finding out Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart cheated, pulling them out of a car during a race, firing them from their team and banning them from ever driving. It’s pretty drastic.
Cycling finds cheats because they actually look for them! Does the NFL test the team after winning every game? (And, disqualifying the entire team if any single member fails a drug test!) Does the NBA require each player to register their exact locations with a central agency every three months for their entire career, so they can be tested at any time, any place in the world? Does baseball require all players submit to random tests before, during, and after games? Cycling does all of these things, and more.
Cycling is getting a black eye for finding cheaters, but isn’t that better than just pretending they don’t exist?? It seems like they should be applauded for the work they are doing.
To ANNIE say it like it is girl. way to go.
Nascar is the only one left to have the deciding factor in sports if all NFL and others would take a course from Nascar they would be better off.When was the last football game you could hear the pastor say the prayer and have the flags flying or when was it you heard “Thank God no one was hurt in that one” Wake up sports, Allthough I dont agree with all of Nascar rules I do agree they are doing it better than any other sport.
There’s customs and traditions in NASCAR that are sacred. Would Junior Johnson, Cale Y, Benny, DW or Dale Sr have ever had the tiniest thought of substance abuse on the track? Shoot, they wanted that natural high of blasting past their peer, you can bet!!
Peer pressure seems a good control measure, too. There’s a certain sense of honor when it comes to competeting in NASCAR … well, except for crew chiefs, I s’pose. But imagine being Gordon and discovering a fellow driver was DWI on the track. If it were me, I’d want to beat the guy to a pulp for endangering my life.
If I recall several years back, Tim Richmond had gotten into a little trouble for taking some Sudafed due to allergies. I think Nascar has done a good job of holding a stern hand in regards to drug use.
Renee is right on, sure good to hear the invocation at the begining of EVERY race, flags flying, fly overs, etc. We cpmlain a bunch about the sport, but it is still one of the better choices today.
True, 1969RS. Makes being an American feel awesome — Stars and Stripes held high, National Athem, flyovers, prayers for the teams.
NASCAR fans = proud Americans.
Sooner,
Our society has a tendency to mistrust to begin with and expect those who can be trusted to ‘earn’ that trust back. It is my honest opinion that random drug testing is the wrong thing to do in NASCAR or anywhere else. There are other more effective mehods for keeping people off of drugs. The ‘expectancy’ that someone somewhere is using illicit drugs does NOT nurture an environment where people do not feel the need to ‘escape’ or use drugs for any reason. We cannot expect for people to continue to be ‘innocent’ if we assume from the beginning that they might be ‘guilty’. Anyone who has ever had a jealous spouse knows this…psychologically it gets to a certain point of being accused that one simply sees no reason not to do what one is being accused of!
The drivers and team members in my opinion are far too dedicated to what they love doing so much to feel it necessary to do any sort of drugs. Yes there has been one incident in the Busch series in recent times…BUT this is an isolated incident and in my opinion absolutely no reason to begin looking for more offenders of the drug free environment that exists now in NASCAR. A drug free environment I might add that was not created by NASCAR or any authority but was created by all of the people who are involved in the sport.
Cheryl Huerta, So what is the more effective methods? Ever gave a thought they wouldn’t have to do random drug testing or anything else like it if people would be more honest what they are doing? Just like anything else people will abuse things and then they have to be rules set in place. Just like these cities that have red light cameras, drivers think they are in a hurry, or special, dumb, you watch out for me type of attiude that causes cities put these cameras up, then the the people that runs the red lights whining by saying it’s not fair. Well it’s not fair for the rest of us have to put our lives at risk because some person not bright enough to know the rules of the road is. Life not fair and the people making it that way.
Forgive me for not jumping on the bandwagon and applauding measures that would make Orwell proud. First of all, this country was founded be people that trafficked in substances that in modern times would get them long prison sentences. (I give you G. Washington as an example) Second of all, I find it an extreme irony that a sport that was started by people that were involved in the production, smuggling, and distribution of an illegal drug (moonshine) would get so bent out of shape about the offtrack use of similar substances. Yes, I do understand about being clean while at the track, but I get tired of people using any available excuse to deprive others of their basic rights or liberties. Not that drugs are mentioned in the constitution, but it does say something about “…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. It has also been ruled to have an implicit right to privacy. And being made to prove your innocence, without due process, by peeing into a cup is not in line with any of the princeples that this country was founded on. Ben Franklin (remember him? One of those “Founding Fathers”) has often been quoted os saying that anyone who gives up a little freedom, for a little security, will soon find that they have neither. So maybe we should add some “true” American values to some of these little arguments that we as Americans seem to love to have.
There should be zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in nascar.
Drugs are bad… m’kay….
drugs..fast cars…200 MPH… side by side racing…somebody slap the idiot that’s even thinking about this. Racing’s hard enough when you’re stone cold sober.
You can’t tell me Waltips not on drugs.
Maybe he just has a scew loose?
As much as we would like to say that we would never think one of “our” drivers would turn to performance enhancing drugs, the strong possibility is there.
Look at the pressure these drivers are under today to win. There is HUGE corperate sponsor $$ funneled into the teams to perform on top. Think of the physical challenges the teams are put thru. Look at your typical crew member that goes over the wall. The physical shape of those guys today verses 10 years ago is night and day. look at your drivers today. How many “Jimmy Spencer” bodies do you see in todays racer?
The pressure of the schedual, appearance, demands of the race, sponsor obligations, combined with really no down time all year long (testing scheduals, driving in Busch series, etc.)places a ton of pressure on todays driver to be on top of his game. Look at how much Red Bull,and other energy drinks are being downed by drivers, team members, ect. Is this borderline performance enhancing drugs? You don’t think they are under pressure to perform?
That being said, throw in the aging driver that maybe has lost a little from what he “use to be”. You don’t think he is looking for something that will give him an edge on the other younger, better looking, more polished 50 or so drivers that show up trying to qualify each week?
Let me conclude by saying I am not accusing anyone, but the realization is there and NASCAR has to remain proactive. There is not “lack of trust” with the drivers. It just keeps everyone aware that big brother is watching. Guarentee, without it, someone will abuse it, it is just a matter of time.
Rob, what do the experts say? What a better way to catch a thief by using a thief? Does that hold the same with your statement about assuming on drugs and a screw loose? Just a Thought
Dennis, If I understand you correctly just because our fore fathers some 200 plus years ago trafficked in substances we still should be able to do it now? Or make moonshine. I love and defended the Constitution my self however I don’t think when the fore fathers trafficked and used drugs I really don’t think they could hurt or kill very many people by while RUI (riding-a-horse under influence) That the MODERN day have in cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. I’m sorry I would like to know if a pilot or truck driver using drugs before they use them and have a accident that could kill my family, friends, or even you because he/she had a right to use drugs or drink. I love my freedom, I also love to be around to enjoy it, instead of some person think he/she think it’s his or her right to use drugs or drink and drive.
As I mentioned before I love my freedom and the Constitution and I do think some laws are unnecessary, Then again why do they have some of these laws? Because people out there think it’s their right to do any thing they want THAT EFFECT others, When you start to effect others that where your freedom stops.
Anyway, how many citizens live here in the USA? That is how many opinions you will find what the Constitution says about their freedom. To me my freedom stops when it starts to affect others. This thing about Tony’s bad word on TV. People that watch cable and ESPN is on cable- hear and see worse than that everyday and yet they don’t say a thing. People love to complain and this gave them to complain about. This cr*p well my kids or grand kids seen and heard it, so what, as others have said these very same people that said this probably uses these words and hear these words while standing in line everyday. Give some people a $1 then they would gripe because it wasn’t $2.
Dear Mr. Stinker,
I suppose it all boils down to what kind of society one wants to live in. One that suspects everyone except for the government and anyone with a badge or one that allows us our liberties while keeping us safe by waiting until someone has actually done something to warrant suspicion.
There are actually some people out here who choose to trust others until they are given a reason not to trust and that is the kind of society I want to be a part of. I’m very much on board with Dennis’ opinion.
Cheryl Huerta, Don’t get me wrong I would love to trust everybody, and have a society of a perfect world. Then again, this is the real world, and I don’t want to be naive about it either. The people are doing to it themselves. That is why they have these (some may feel silly or unwanted laws/rules) because people proves day in and day out they can’t be trusted. Look at all the sports the rule is no drugs and yet players still do it. Nascar has rules about the cars and yet they still inspect them before every race. I know my example of red light cameras was off subject, but I was trying to make a point. As for red light cameras, No, I don’t like them, where I live when the light turns green for me I have to wait for at least for 10-15 seconds before I dare to move. These drivers are at least 1/2-3/4 block down the street too, they just don’t pay attention or don’t care. You can watch everyday you see the same cars run them. When the local Tv station did some interviews about these cameras, there where some of these people confess they run the lights and say it’s their right because they need to get to someplace.
I remember reading back sometime you wrote to others about NASCAR ever changing rules, by saying to them Times do change, sometimes you have to change with it. I do agree with your comment but then again people will and do abuse just about anything, and others have to pay for it. This was true hundred of years ago and still true today.
Unlike the Constitution everyone is debating, racing in NASCAR is not a right but a privilege. If people have to pee in a cup to work at Walmart I don’t think that it is that big a deal for anyone on the track (including pit crew members) to do the same.
By keeping their head buried in the sand, NASCAR is just setting themselves up for major trouble down the line. I was at a race earlier this season that featured a heroin addict driving a truck at over 150 mph in tight traffic. What would have happened if he got into an accident that injured a fan? The media would have jumped all over that.
As Congress is moving down the line of sports about steroids, how dumb will NASCAR look when they get the eventual subpeona from Congress and they have nothing to present them with.
This is a self righteous article from a group that got it’s start by haul’in illeagal moonshine in hopped up stock cars racing police during the week and each other on weekends.
Look yawl, these guys are just like you and I, they put their pants on one leg at a time, and when faced with temptation they react like we do. What would you do if a sore arm or whatever might keep you out of a race and there is a drug that will help you? You probably take it and hope for the best, and thats what most of them would do.
Yeah,Mikeys crazy. All the way to the bank.People seem to forget that Toyota has a three year deal with the Waltrips. And if they truly were dissatisfied,they would have pulled after Daytona. They even payed his fine.
If you check into it you might find for whatever reason, Toyota didn’t fund the cars like they did the Trucks. How do I know this? I have a friend that works for the Toyota Dist. for Texas and few other states and they was told this by Toyota at a convention.
Larry, I’m not sure if you agree or disagree with the points I was trying to make. But I do know that I failed to communicate properly. Because my point was not that we should have the right to use drugs or any other thing of that type. My point is that we, as Americans, have turned into the type of elitist snobs who think that THEY/WE, and only THEY/WE, have all of the answers. And since WE/THEY have all of the answers, WE/THEY should tell everyone else what to do. WE/THEY have forgotten where we came from, and who we are. WE(I’ll simplify it to that) have been so busy trying to reinvent ourselves into some type of superior being, that WE have forgotten just how good this country and its can be. I tried to use “clever” phrases to illustrate my points. And I failed. I hope that I have made my position a little clearer. (or not, but at least I’ve tried)
I think the drivers just haven’t found the right drug. Dexamethasone probably would work. That’s what I’d use.
Nascar does not have a random drug testing policy as with a normal job,KEEP in mind that the drivers do not work or are they contracted by nascar, they work for their car owners, which have there own testing policys! Nascar does however (as they say) “reserve the right to test” , which they do. It may not be a”random” test as you call it ……but if at any time you can be called to the trailer(nascar trailer) to be drug tested, is about as random as you can get!!! also depending on the situation nascar does give second chances (as we all make mistakes)remember Shane Hmiel, he tested positive for cocaine, and marijuana on two seperate occasions both times he was “Banned indefinatly ” (which ended up being 1 year total 2 dif seasons) from driving at nascar events until nascar reinstated him…….Then he tested positive the third time he has been BANNED FOR LIFE…..basically nascar does have and will use its drug testing policy RANDOM OR NOT!!!!!!!! Nascar is the greatest sport in the world , with the greatest drivers in the world, the greatest pit crews in the world, the greatest officals in the world ,and YOU THE GREATEST FANS IN THE WORLD
Well, Thank You Tony Stewert that was a very nice thing to say about your fans. And, Yes Nascar is the greatest sport in the world….