Cup drivers call for more drug tests

In an interview with ESPN's The Magazine, Fike said he had used drugs on race days while competing in the Craftsman Truck Series. He is currently serving a suspension from NASCAR and faces legal charges after being arrested last year while in possession of drugs in an incident unrelated to racing.

NASCAR drivers sign a waiver before the start of each season, consenting to random testing for drugs and alcohol during race weekends. However, the policy seems to have not been enforced enough recently, given Fike's revelations.

Following the driver's admission, many Sprint Cup drivers have said that they would support the implementation of a stronger policy to control the use of drugs by drivers, some even suggesting that Fike's case may not be the only offender.

"I have been in a race with [Fike] and I know for a fact that he's not the only one," said Kevin Harvick, for whom Fike drove in three Nationwide Series races in 2006.

"There's another driver that is suspended that I can almost guarantee you was in a race car while under the influence, and that pisses me off.

"If I'm a fan of another sport, I don't want to watch and think that I don't know if those drivers are really clean. What difference does it make if they do random drug testing every week on every driver in the garage and you have to do it 15 times a year?

"I'm sure I'll have to [be tested] for speaking my mind, but if I have to pee in a cup 15 times a year I'm happy to do that. Just to make sure that everybody in the world knows that our sport is clean."

Harvick said he had spoken with NASCAR officials about the issue but his words had apparently gone "on deaf ears." He also claimed that despite being involved in NASCAR for nearly ten years, he has never been drug tested, something that would never happen in other professional sports.

Meanwhile Jeff Gordon said that while probably there has not been a reason for NASCAR to enforce a tougher policy on substance abuse, it would not be a bad idea to do random tests on drivers.

However he says he is not sure that there are any drugs that could actually enhance his performance as a race-car driver.

"I don't feel like there is a reason to do more (tests)," he said. "But at the same time, I have never been randomly tested and just to do it every once in a while, might not be a bad idea, just to get everybody's attention even though you sign that waiver that it could happen.

"It probably does need to happen from time to time just to make sure. But, you know, I think most of us have the impression that we only want to do something that is going to enhance our performance.

"There isn't anything that can really enhance the performance of a race car driver. Not that I know of, I can't imagine doing anything that would take away from my performance. I don't think we need a knee-jerk reaction here."

Dale Earnhardt Jr also supported the idea of random tests, although he believes that motorsports should have different policies than other professional sports such as baseball, basketball or football.

"I wouldn't have problem with random drug testing if it's important to the integrity of the sport," Earnhardt said. "That's what's important to me and maybe it would be able to help maintain that.

"We've always sort of had it differently than other stick and ball sports because we drive cars. It's just overall handled differently.

"People would assume that steroids and things like that wouldn't be an advantage here and I don't see how they would but I suspect the only reason a guy would do that in this profession is just physical appearance of his own perception of himself."

In 2006, Nationwide and Truck Series driver Shane Hmiel was banned from NASCAR for life after failing three separate drug tests, having tested positive for marijuana in 2003 and then also for cocaine in 2005.

NASCAR's current policy on substance abuse is based on "reasonable suspicion" rather than random tests as other professional sports.