Joe Soriano
O.J. LewisHarvick Leads The Way In War on Drugs
May 21st 2008 22:16
Kevin Harvick speaks out on drugs in Nascar
Kevin Harvick is not only a driver for Richard Childress Racing, he and his wife DeLana Nationwide Series car, and two Craftsmen Truck Series trucks. In the light of the Aaron Fike incident from a month ago, when Fike admitted to having used heroin on a day that he raced in the truck series, Harvick has implemented his own drug testing policy for his teams. Fike was never caught under Nascar’s drug testing policy, but was suspended after being arrested last year and charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.
Harvick who was once in a race with Fike realizes the dangers of someone racing under the influence of drugs and remarked, “Running into a wall at 200 mph and putting 42 other drivers at risk is a much bigger consequence than not being able to hit a baseball. The responsibility needs to be put in everybody’s hands, whether it needs to be put in Nascar’s hands, the team owners’ hands, the drivers’ hands.”
All the Kevin Harvick, Inc. drivers, Ron Hornaday, Jack Sprague, Cale Gale, and their crew chiefs have been tested in the past month. Hornaday said, Just knowing that these guys that build these cars and trucks are clean just makes me feel that much safer. It would be good to see everybody follow KHI’s lead and do the same.”
Nascar won’t say how often they test drivers. Their spokesman Ramsey Poston said, "The policy is perhaps the broadest and the one with the quickest trigger in all of sports. It prohibits the misuse or abuse of any drug and essentially provides NASCAR the latitude to test anyone anywhere at anytime. And that serves the sport real well. The question now is, is there more that can be done to test in a different manner, or even more often?"
Harvick thinks any driver involved in a crash should be tested when they are taken to the infield care center. He also feels anyone trying to get a season credential at the beginning of the year should be submitted to a drug screening.
Poston went on to say, "The Aaron Fike case is one you don't want to hear, particularly when you're policing the sport, you're testing a lot of guys and then you see something like this happens. While reviewing and looking over the policy is something we do on an ongoing basis, that gives you even more resolve to dig deeper."
Harvick also believes others will follow his example, as he has gotten positive responses from other car owners. He also said, "I'm 99 percent sure that everybody in the Cup garage is clean. I just want the perception to be known of how the drug testing is done, when it's done. We obviously are known as a drug-free environment at my company."
Personally I applaud Harvick for taking the initiative. Nascar’s policy is obviously flawed. They can’t base testing on reasonable suspicion because they can’t see everything. They obviously had no clue about Fike until he was caught red-handed outside of the racetrack. In a time when they take so many steps to make the sport so safe, which I feel they have done an outstanding job with, how can they not take the extra steps to assure everyone from the mechanic, to the tire changer, to the driver be clean?
I don’t even think Harvick’s suggestion of driver’s involved in a wreck being tested during their mandatory trip to the infield care center is enough. Why wait till after something happens to check? Nascar has so many pre-race things going on, qualifying, spec checks on the cars, impounds, drivers’ meetings, and more. Why not have at least the drivers submit a sample early in the day of qualifying, and then randomly test the samples? This would make it so everyone knows they might be tested in any given week, but not go as far as letting them know just when they specifically will be tested. I think this would lead to anyone who is using something to either stop using, or get caught and have to face the consequences.
That idea however isn’t even enough, the rest of the crews need to be policed too. What happens if someone like the guy who tightens the bolts on the steering column is high on something and misses a one or two bolts?
In closing, what Harvick is doing is wonderful, and all owners should follow his lead, at least until Nascar takes a more pro-active, preventative stance on a more widespread testing policy. It is the only way to keep everyone safe from people like Fike, Kevin Grubb, Shane Hmiel, and the most resent driver to be suspended, Tyler Walker.
Do you think Nascar is doing enough to keep the sport safe from drugs?
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