While NASCAR does have its share of controversy it is nice to know that the athletes themselves that are the face of the sport remain clean.
Examples From Other Sports
The 2007 Tour de France saw a number of riders disqualified and the eventual winner finished under a cloud of suspicion.
Over in the Major League Baseball world fans are hanging on Barry Bonds' every move as he closes in on the all-time home run record. Barry was the center of a steroid scandal in 2003 but got off because steroids were not illegal when he allegedly took them.
NFL players are constantly under fire for steroid use. The list of players accused or banned is so long that I wouldn't know where to start.
NASCAR Drivers Are Clean
In any group of people you are bound to have a few bad apples. There have been a few cases where NASCAR banned drivers for using illegal drugs. NASCAR has been swift and consistent in its zero-tolerance policy surrounding drug use.
Steroids are said to help with reflexes and vision. Both of those things would be helpful to a NASCAR driver. However, I am not aware of one single fact, accusation or even rumor of performance enhancing drug use. Drivers are afraid to take the risk, and that is how it should be in all sports.
In recent years Brian Rose, Shane Hmiel, Tyler Walker and, more recently, Aaron Fike all ran afoul of NASCAR's drug policy and were banned from the sport. These drivers used illegal drugs including marijuana, cocaine and heroin. When NASCAR had all of the facts they acted swiftly and decisively in banning them from the sport.
NASCAR isn't completely heartless. It is possible to get a second chance if you are willing to follow their strict guidelines. However, with so many squeaky clean drivers waiting in the wings how many sponsors are willing to take a risk on a "tainted" driver?
A Lesson To Be Learned
Maybe the rest of the sporting world should learn a lesson from NASCAR. If you ban a few athletes for life on their first offense you very quickly get the attention of the rest of the league.
NASCAR's tough stance on drugs means that drivers know the consequences and rarely take the risk. The NFL, MLB and other sanctioning bodies are too lenient. Make the risk not worth the reward and you'll start to contain drug use in sports.
