June 30th, 2010 
T.C. We had a question in yesterday’s Ask The Insiders Wednesday about what appears to be a growing drug problem in NASCAR, and I wanted to take a little bit more space and expand on my answer to reader Tony. The question was no doubt spawned by the announcement on Tuesday this week that yet another crew member had been suspended for violating the sport’s substance abuse policy. Chris Moore, the gas man for AJ Allmendinger’s #43 Ford at Richard Petty Motorsports is the latest offender.
NASCAR took a much tougher stance with their drug policy before the beginning of the 2009 season. They started requiring drug testing for drivers and crew members to obtain a NASCAR license, and they implemented random testing during the season. The change in policy was the direct result of the admission by driver Aaron Fike that he’d used heroin before driving in a Truck Series race at Memphis a few years ago.
Since then, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended no less then 19 crew members and drivers for violating the substance abuse policy. Here are the names and teams, in no particular order:
- Chris Moore #43 Cup
- Randy Lajoie, ex-driver, spotter, TV
- Matthew Huffstetler #01 Truck
- William Keith #38 Cup
- William Hileman #76 Truck
- Kenneth Luna #23 NNS
- William Wheeler #57 Truck
- Jeremy Mayfield, driver
- Ben Williams #16 NNS
- Paul Chodora #41 Cup
- Mark Norman #09 NNS
- Clint Carter #46 Truck
- Jeremy Wilbert #95 Truck
- Ryan Sebek #76 Truck
- Richard Henninger #6 Cup
- Gary St. Amant #99 Truck
- Mike Hennessy #99 Truck
- Andrew Crnkovic #07 Truck
- Richard Gray #77 NNS
From this, you’ll see that one current driver, one ex-driver, four Cup guys, four NNS guys, and nine Truck guys have been busted.
What’s interesting to note however, is that only three of these offenders worked for major teams. The rest worked for much smaller operations. And many were temporary employees for part time teams who were tested at the track to obtain their license to work for the weekend. If any teams are going to be more susceptible to this type of problem, you would expect it to be the smaller teams, as they don’t have the necessary resources to run their own comprehensive drug testing programs like many of the larger organizations have. At most of the big teams anymore pre-employment drug screens are required of all new hires.
With a little bit of estimating and some quick math, we can safely say that somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people come to the track each weekend as crew members for Truck, NNS, and Cup teams. Comparing our 19 violators to this number of total crew members shows us that somewhere around 1% have failed. That is a very low number.
Don’t get me wrong though, I understand that there are more out there who just haven’t been caught, but I think this is a very small group. Don’t forget that everyone with a license has already passed at least one drug test, and NASCAR randomly tests as many as 15 people each race weekend. For those that have made bad choices, it’s only a matter of time before they are caught.
Looking over the information, I think it appears that NASCAR doesn’t have any more of a problem with substance abuse then any other sport or business for that matter. It’s completely unrealistic to think that nobody does it, but I also think it’s unfair to say this is a major problem. NASCAR certainly waited way too long to put together any sort of real policy, and their current version could definitely use some improvements, but I believe progress has been made.
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That’s no higher a percentage than any other industry. But it is a bit stupid when you know your going to be drug tested at least a few times a year. And once your out, good luck getting back in.
The whole thing is just a sad affair.
They “randomly” test the same people over and over and over. One of the guys on this list was tested for eight weeks in a row until they finally “caught him”.
Of course they didn’t say what his violation was.
ya know…..
for a couple of guys who claim they would rather not have their identities made public, I am surprised that you would publish a list of names like that. I am not sure heading down this road does anyone any good.
I read here for racing news, not to see another side of the losing war on drugs.
This is not to mention how odd it is to hear all this “high and mighty” ” holier than thou” ” policing effort” hullabaloo from NASACR themselves (a bunch of guys who got their start by breaking the law by ilegally running moonshine).
anyway…
I am just surprised that you would publish a list of names like that. This does not affect me, I dont know any of those guys, and I am not on the list …. but I wonder … did you think of them or thier families?? They wre not convicted of anything, except in the court of NASCAR …. anyway …
I am not sure what this list accomplishes. Why not just say something like “a couple of people out of the 1000s in NASCAR were caught on drug tests, there is not much of a problem” …. and leave it at that.
Just curious. I did not see traveling officials or local track workers on the list. Does NASCAR drug test every NASCAR official, both randomly and regularly?
Could a possible reason for the small team guys getting caught is their not having steady track jobs, they’re off partying or doing whatever it is that they do, then they get a call to help out with Team X the upcoming weekend… and having drugs in their system, they get nailed? It’s one thing for someone inclined to use drugs to refrain if they know they’re subject to random testing, it’s another for someone who’s working in a non-tested job to refrain on the long shot possibility they get a phone call.
Garry: We didn’t make this list public. All of these names can be found with a quick Google search. NASCAR makes the names public when they make the announcement regarding the failed test. And whether you like it or not, this policy is part of the sport. It’s something that crew guys are faced with every weekend when they are tested randomly.
Also, NASCAR didn’t get it’s start from running moonshine. Many of the drivers who were apart of the early years of NASCAR did so, but the sanctioning body itself did not.
I also find it curious that you call their policing effort “hullabaloo.” Would you rather that crew guys and drivers were all hopped up on drugs while the races were going on? Because I don’t. I jump in front of those cars doing 55MPH down pit road each weekend, and I’d like to know that the guy behind the wheel and the boys around me all have clear minds and bodies… In case you forgot, racing is dangerous and lives can be put in danger by this kind of crap.
Neon: I don’t know about local track workers, but the official policy says NASCAR officials are part of the testing program. Whether or not any have been actually caught, I don’t know, because NASCAR has never announced any failures.
steve: Your explanation is certainly plausible. With the current state of the sport there are certainly a lot of people who are without jobs. And freelancing for teams on a weekend by weekend basis happens a lot.
T.C. said, “I jump in front of those cars doing 55MPH down pit road each weekend…”. Can we assume that means that you are a front tire changer, a front tire carrier or a jack man?
I don’t really care. I was just making a light-hearted assumption based on an observation of what you said. I really enjoy your and Journo’s page. Please keep up the good work.
roberto: I’m a tire changer, but can’t say front or rear. Rear guys jump in front of cars too you know, just not their own…
It amazes me that people always think they can beat the system, no matter what system it is, whether it is the guy why goes 20 miles over the speed limit, or the guy who thinks he can beat a drug test. If I thought I were going to get a call to fill in on a team, I sure would stay off the wacky weed or whatever else they were using to party. Every time they are out there filling in for some they are in effect auditioning for a job. You never know when a job opens up and your name comes up to fill it because you did a good job filling in for someone. You can be sure the guys whose names are on your list will never get that call. Sad, but so very stupid. And for those people out there who say that it is an addiction and it is very hard to beat an addiction, I have a daughter who has just been accepted into a masters/phd program who, 8 years ago, was a stone cold junkie, She finally turned her life around and is doing great. I hope the guys on that list can do as well as she did. The thing is they have to want it more than they want the drugs,
Why is alcohol not considered a drug or a mentioned as a reason for concern for safety?
I’d be equally concerned, T.C., about crew members that are hung over or had alcohol for breakfast or lunch, as I am about a spotter having smoked a joint.
Nascar has been very consistent at picking on the little guy as well to set an example of their “big bad testing policy”. Only 3 cup guys and the only big team represented of those 3 was the #6 team and they are hardly top tier. The rest of the list is all truck and NW teams. When someone from a big team (Hendrick, Gibbs) or a big name driver is added to this list, then I will be impressed. Right now to me, its just nascar picking and choosing who they want to bust and since they don’t have any repercussions for doing it (see Jeremy Mayfield) they will continue to do it.
Hal: Alcohol is certainly apart of the substance abuse policy. Crew members are instructed to not drink within 12 hours of the garage opening, and if somebody gets tested and they blow 0.02 or over on the breathalyzer, they are out.
Is that .02 a new rule?
The same people that run NASCAR run Grand Am, the Frances. Correct?? JC France!! Enough said!!!!
Here’s the link
http://www.news-journalonline.com/breakingnews/2010/04/drug-charges-dropped-jc-france-reinstated-to-grand-am.html
Ross: I don’t know if it was a part of the policy last year, but it is certainly in the rule book this year…