Announcement of new drug policy imminent

FONTANA, Calif. -- NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said Sunday that the sanctioning body would announce an expansion to its drug-testing policy "shortly -- in a couple weeks."

NASCAR currently tests drivers for "reasonable suspicion" and imposes some of the harshest penalties for failed drug tests in professional sports. France said the expansion of the policy will deal with the testing end of the equation but stopped short of saying NASCAR would incorporate random testing.

"We won't be lessening any punishments. We will be looking at broadening up the testing, even though we have a lot of latitude today," France said. "I'll let the policy, when it comes out, speak for itself. The only thing I would say is that it's going to be more comprehensive, there'll be more testing and it's going to make a good policy, I think, even better."

Earlier this year several top drivers in NASCAR voiced support for a change in NASCAR's drug testing policy, stemming from the admission of former Craftsman Truck driver Aaron Fike, who told a national magazine that he used drugs on race days.