NASCAR drivers, never tested, now call for drug tests

Informed with knowledge of a fellow driver Aaron Fike firing up on heroin before driving in races, NASCAR drivers appear appalled that the organization doesn't take drug testing seriously.  Story in the Orlando Sentinel:

I wrote in my column today about drivers like Kevin Harvick calling for more stringent drug testing in the wake of Aaron Fike's admission that he was on heroin during truck races. Of course, nearly every driver in Phoenix was asked about the issue yesterday. Among the highlights were Dale Earnhardt Jr. saying we shouldn't forget that this means Fike is getting his life together, Ryan Newman pleading the fifth and Harvick saying Fike isn't the only one.

Kevin Harvick is fighting mad:

Kevin Harvick: "I had a long conversation with NASCAR the last time we had this policy brought up in the end of the year last year and it almost seems like it went on deaf ears.  I’m disappointed with the fact that we’re in a case where we have to have a reaction instead of being proactive about the situation.  So that part I’m disappointed with that we have to answer these questions again and we haven’t made any headway whatsoever on the drug testing policy.  In the 10 years that I’ve raced, I’ve never been drug tested.  So to me that is not a proper professional sports drug policy and as I went up and talked to them about it.  They were more mad that I had a reaction to the situation than they were as far as trying to move forward.  To me, it was just kind of one of those meetings where they were content to listen to what I had to say and that was about it.  My name is not Jeff Gordon."    More Harvick: "I have been in a race with [Fike] and I know for a fact that he’s not the only one. There’s another driver that is suspended that I can almost guarantee you was in a race car while he was under the influence and that pisses me off. 

Casey Kahne and Ryan Newman comment about the lack of drug testing, and also add that Fike isn't the only doped driver in the world:

Kasey Kahne: "I think there is more that goes into it than just saying ‘we’re going to test you guys.’ I don’t understand it totally because I’ve never been tested. I would be up for it (drug testing) at any time just so that I knew – and everybody else knows what’s going on. As much money that’s in this sport, and as lucky as we are to get do what we do, we should be clean and everybody out there should be."

   Ryan Newman stepped back a little: "I didn’t read it yet. I guarantee that he’s not the first guy and probably not going to be the last guy. I don’t know what to tell you other than that. It’s not a good thing. There are people out on the highway that we go across 55 mph on a two-lane road coming head-on at us that are doing the same thing."

Sounds like NASCAR needs to test for street drugs, as well as PEDs like amphetamine.  Columnists are now calling for this.

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