September 25, 2008
By Doug Demmons
When NASCAR cranks up its new drug-testing program the first people to be tested should be the guys in Daytona who came up with it in the first place.
Somebody over there is hallucinating.
The new policy boils down to this -- we will test whoever we want, whenever we want and for whatever substance we want. We will not say what substances will get you in trouble nor will we specify what penalties you might face.
You might get popped for taking too much cough medicine. It’s whatever we decide.
Not surprisingly, a hallelujah chorus has arisen praising the new policy. To say anything else risks being labeled soft on drug abuse.
Even the drivers are fully on board this train. Jeff Gordon was asked Tuesday whether he was bothered by the fact that there isn’t a list of what is banned and what is OK.
“I think it's pretty clear. You know, I mean, it's abuse, it's taking substances that are either illegal or are going to be performance-enhancing. Who knows what they can be,” Gordon said.
“But to me it's very clear. I know that I have nothing to be concerned about. I think, you know, it's a great move on their part. I've been saying for a long time that the only real way to go about it is to do random testing. And so I think this is a great step forward for the sport. I think that they're doing the right thing.”
Random testing is not the problem. Random testing is a good idea and long overdue.
The problem is with NASCAR’s refusal to specify banned substances or penalties. And one word sums up why that refusal is such a bad idea -- favoritism.
The sport is already eaten up with conspiracy theorists who are certain that NASCAR officials throw debris cautions to benefit star drivers. Or that NASCAR goes easy or looks the other way when technical violations are found on the cars of favored drivers.
You can’t convince some people that NASCAR didn’t expand the Chase to 12 drivers just to make sure Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. weren't left out. And perhaps those people are right.
So now NASCAR comes along and creates a whole new genre of conspiracy. Just wait until some rookie in the Truck Series gets a lifetime ban for abusing the same substance that a Cup regular gets a slap on the wrist for.
Just wait until someone is banned for using testosterone and his fans wonder why he didn’t get the same lenient consideration that Ron Hornaday got.
It’s a slippery slope.
NASCAR refuses to list banned substances or penalties so as to maintain maximum flexibility and to allow for mitigating circumstances.
In theory that’s good. But it isn’t necessary. It isn’t rocket science to figure out what substances should be banned and what substances are performance-enhancing. Listing them doesn’t preclude NASCAR from amending the policy as new substances come along.
And the time for mitigating circumstances to be considered is before a positive test. If a driver breaks his leg in a bad wreck and is prescribed painkillers, he can notify NASCAR and NASCAR can approve or reject it.
Testing positive for any substance on the list should automatically invoke specific penalties that apply to everyone equally. Gordon or Earnhardt should get the same penalty as the front tire changer for a one-car team.
NASCAR should be commended for a policy that is among the toughest in all of sports. They can’t risk a driver shooting up heroin the morning before going out on the track and driving 170 mph.
And they should be commended for not crafting the kind of ridiculous, head-in-the-sand approach that Major League Baseball, team owners and the players union pretended for years was adequate.
But there ought to be a reasonable middle ground somewhere between Darryl Strawberry’s multiple chances and getting tossed for life for cough medicine.
Doug Demmons is a writer and editor for the Birmingham News ~ he writes weekly auto racing columns ranging from NASCAR to open wheel to Formula One, local tracks and more... you can read Doug's columns online at Blog of Tommorow
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