NASCAR’s Drug Use Policy

Jeremy Mayfield’s recent indefinite suspension for violating NASCAR’s drug use guidelines brought to the forefront the issue of drugs in auto racing. Despite Jeremy’s explanation of an inadvertent result brought about by combining a prescription drug with an over the counter medication, it’s not quite as simple as it seems.

Jeremy Mayfield given indefinite suspension for violating NASCAR's drug use policy

Racing in NASCAR requires split second timing and the conditioned reflexes of an athlete who has spent thousands of hours behind the wheel of a race car in an unimpaired condition. NASCAR seeks to protect racers attempting to maneuver 3,000-pound stock cars moving at velocities approaching 200 mph, from the possibly deadly impairing effects of over the counter medications or even a cardiac beta blocker.

NASCAR’s drug policy isn’t one aimed at just performance enhancing drugs; they have an expanded mandate that also includes drugs that impair driving ability as well. NASCAR tests competitors for a wider array of substances than other sports, and also tests for lower concentrations of certain drugs as well as over use. The real issue in NASCAR with drug use, is safety of both of drivers and the fans, and the zero-tolerance program in place is an indication of how serious they are about these issues. They have a large, extensive profile of drugs they test for and they test for very low concentration levels because of the safety concerns with even small amounts of most substances.

The testing of NASCAR drivers is conducted by Nashville-based Aegis Sciences Corp., which has had the honor of testing NASCAR drivers for almost two decades. The program is headed by Dr. David Black a man of many of accomplishments who is undeniably qualified to implement NASCAR’s tough but absolutely necessary substance abuse program.

Black travelled to Vanderbilt University in 1986 to create a doping laboratory to allow for testing of athletes for performance enhancing substances but while he was there also helped the NFL create and begin a program to test its members for anabolic steroids. In the intervening years he has worked with NCAA Division I colleges, Major League Baseball Players Association, the IndyCar series, before starting a relationship with NASCAR IN 1988.

Aegis is a firm he started after leaving Vanderbilt, which was just before he started to work with the NFL and their substance abuse testing program.

“Image: Newscom”