Random testing now part of NASCAR's drug policy (cont'd)

"The new drug policy is another step in the evolution of NASCAR and the safety of the sport," Labonte said. "Make no mistake, what we do is dangerous. We need to make certain that the competitors are clean when they hit the racetrack. NASCAR did a great job in outlining the rules, what is legal and illegal, and it's up to the drivers and their doctors to make sure they are within the guidelines."

Ragan, 22, said that in the last four years, he'd only been drug tested once and that he had no problem with NASCAR's lottery system.

"It'll only cause problems for people that have something to worry about, not for everybody that's clean," Ragan said. "We have to respect NASCAR stepping up to the plate and making a little tougher policy. I think it'll be great for everybody to get some type of a schedule and we get drug tested more frequently."

Newman said public credibility was one of the best aspects of the updated program.

"I think that there is a sense of credibility, for sure, to be drug-free -- not just for the drivers, but for the crew members and owners and everybody involved," Newman said. "They want everybody in the garage area to be drug-free. That's NASCAR's goal and that's the way it should be."

Some drivers had expressed the desire to have a random testing policy instituted, particularly after Fike revealed he had used heroin on race days.

"We have made a very good policy even better with the addition of random tests," NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said. "NASCAR's policy has long given us the ability to test anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Random tests now provide us and the industry with additional information."

"NASCAR's substance-abuse policy has always prohibited the misuse or abuse of any drug," its statement said. "This means that a violation of the policy can be triggered with the use of any drug or medication if NASCAR believes it has been abused or misused.

"Penalties for violation of NASCAR's substance-abuse policy will continue to be among the toughest in sports: Immediate suspension from competition. Competitors that violate the policy will continue to be required to meet detailed criteria prescribed by NASCAR's outside experts in order to be considered for reinstatement."

NASCAR's announcement didn't include a list of banned substances, or even substances that would be tested for. O'Donnell said the sanctioning body did not want to continually revise the policy.

"We think we have the broadest policy in all of sports. The reason we don't have a list is we believe that a list is restrictive," O'Donnell said. "If you've seen with a lot of other leagues, the policy is constantly changing. We know that there's new drugs out there every day. By having a broad policy that doesn't list anything, we feel like we can test for any substance that may be abused, no different than our policy is today.

"I want to be clear on that. We've never had a list. It states right now in our policy that cough medicine could be abused if you're taking that too much and it's going to affect the safety on the racetrack. That won't change. We'll test for anything. Our experts are very familiar with prescriptions people may be taking and legitimate medications, but we will not have a list."

NASCAR's announcement reiterated the policy that, "while it is possible that a competitor could receive a lifetime ban for just one violation, a third violation will automatically result in a lifetime ban."

Although he refused to go into details about the comparative number of tests it had conducted in the past versus what it anticipated in the future, O'Donnell said the reporting of test results wouldn't change.

"We don't notify anybody as to who's tested or if there's a negative test," O'Donnell said. "The only time you'll hear us talk about a test is when we have a positive result that's been verified, so that will be no different than our policy is today.

"The way our policy works today and will continue is that when a sample is taken, there's an A and a B sample. Before we go public, we will verify that not only the A but the B sample was positive. Once we're assured by our medical review officer this is indeed a positive test, we will make that public."

O'Donnell stressed that to some degree, the policy would continue to be a work in progress, as in the expansion of the process to test for steroids.

"The way we'll rely on it is if it's medically prescribed and we don't think it affects the safety on the track that is something we would look at," O'Donnell said. "So I think we do test for steroids. That is new to our test. That will be for over-the-wall crew members as well. But we'll rely on Dr. Black and AEGIS on that."

Establishing the baseline in 2009 is part of the adjustment to different persons' medical programs and what the next year of the program will prove.

"What I think gets lost a little bit is even without this new policy right now, the drivers are required to let us know what they're taking," O'Donnell said. "That's kind of the first part. Then the baseline test, really with any new or amended substance-abuse policy, it's the right thing to do.

"It's basically taking a sampling of where you believe you're at today, taking a look at it, then implementing your random test. It's not something we have to do every year in terms of a baseline, but we'll start out, see where we're at, then through the random testing process see if we need to institute that part again in 2010."