Heroin to Get the Motor Runnin’?
April 10, 2008 by Tim Zaegel
Filed under Racing
Image details: NASCAR Media Day served by picapp.com
Former Craftsman Truck Series driver, Aaron Fike, admitted to ESPN the Magazine, that he had been injecting himself with heroin on race days while competing in the series last year. Fike had been arrested on July 7th of last year in a King’s Island parking lot when he and girlfriend, Cassandra Davidson, were in his truck with a towel draped over the back window. When approached by security officers, Fike attempted to drive off, hitting one of the officers with his sideview mirror.
He was later arrested and consequentially suspended by NASCAR and released of his contract. The recent revelations of his drug use on race days, however, has already gotten many people talking about whether or not NASCAR needs to adjust their current drug testing policy. Under their current substance abuse policy, NASCAR maintains the right to administer a drug screening at any time, however, they will do so only if they have “reasonable suspicion.”
Fike had signed a contract in 2007 to drive in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He made only 12 starts prior to his arrest, resulting in a top-five and (4) top-ten finishes.
I dont know if its really necessary to test these guys regularly or not. NASCAR is a pretty small community, so I think that more often than not word of mouth will travel far enough to give NASCAR their ‘reasonable suspicions.’
There’s going to be a bunch of media on this in the coming weeks.. and it’s starting with Tony Stewart’s comment on the random drug testing policy already in place, and how he’s never been tested. (Then if he is, will he make a stink about it?)
In all seriousness, if you look at what these guys do for a living and put yourself in their shoes (in a hot minute), I would not want to take the chance that I’m out there running 160+ next to someone who’s hopped up or not in their right mind.
Granted, this group of athletes just does not give you the feel that there’s anything shady going on in the background, but then again, the image of the group as a whole could go a long way towards protecting someone under that umbrella, ie: Fike.
So yea, they should step up their program. Then we’d have something else to cover!
I agree with you 100%, Bruce. These guys don’t really strike me as the type that you’d have to worry about, but then again, one person can ruin it for everyone.