Full Throttle

I wasn’t going to write anything on the current news making the rounds on the Aaron Fike revelations.

I noted the original story that finally became my most commented post in 4 years. That post was inundated with apologists and assorted loonbats making every excuse in the world for their behavior.

I also commented on his and his girlfriend/fiances guilty pleas and the penalty they would pay for being a few nuts short of a full Snickers Bar. Unsurprisingly, the original apologists and assorted loonbats were no where to be found then. Gutless twits.

As I said, I thought I’d ignore the current story because Fike has/is doing his penitence and apparently turned his life around. That’s a good thing.

However, in the spate of stories on the matter I ran across a quote by Jim Hunter related to NASCAR’s drug policy.

“Life According to Jim Hunter” apparently dictates he defend the current policy because drivers and crew members work so close with each other and with NASCAR officials, the chances of a violator not being reported are slim.

As you may know it takes “reasonable suspicion” - someone dropping a dime on a suspected abuser - before a drug test is administered.

“In the policy itself there are all sorts of things - change in behavior, droopy eyes - that are very obvious, and if somebody is acting pretty strange we wouldn’t hesitate to test them,” he said.

This is the point where I get out my patented ClueBat and knock Hunter about the skull severely.

I spent 20 plus years in the U.S. Navy, out of that time 10 were spent performing the “collateral duty” of drug and alcohol councilor. Never once in that period did anyone exhibit outward signs of being whacked out of their skulls to the point of being obvious to their friends or family.

Not once.

Granted, many were busted and promptly shipped back to momma to get on with a life that didn’t endanger their shipmates. But it was always a result of the mandatory tests the military requires. Not because they were ratted on.

Interestingly, actually disgustingly in my viewpoint, Hunter claimed in the same article some in the garage last year were saying Fike showed signs that might indicate a problem and Hunter passed it off as “garage-area gossip.”

Well HELLO dimbulb!

That should have fallen under Hunter’s all-mighty “reasonable suspicion” clause!

But it didn’t and therein lies a very large problem that needs to be fixed before something very ugly occurs.

People under the influence are masters of deception. They have to be to operate on the edge of legal society, stay stoned enough to satisfy the habit, but still operate as if normal.

How many times do you see news items where someone has committed some criminal act and is found in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia when caught?

Later when the local blond-haired pouty-lipped newshounds interview family and friends they all to a man and woman exclaim, “no not our Johnny or Jane, not that kid it can’t be!” No one knows their kid better than Mom and Pop but when the crap hits the flywheel the realization hits that yes, there’s is a drug problem to be dealt with.

Just because NASCAR thinks their testing program is valid, or have trust in being able to detect a problem before the news wires light up with a sad, if not tragic story don’t make it so. Aaron Fike proves that.

The time for NASCAR to take action is now, Fike’s revelation is the starting flag, lets see if the Daytona and Charlotte Suits change the drug policy before something tragic happens.

UPDATE: I just happend to see a Jeff Burton quote remarking on NASCAR acting on “rumors” and how hard it is to know with any certainty someone might be using. “A guy who looks tired? That could mean he has a cold or had too much beer the night before. And you might hear rumors, but rumors are a dime a dozen in the garage. Until there is a real, chemical test, I don’t see how you can know for certain if the guy racing next to you is clean,”Burton remarked.

He has a valid point, it’s very difficult. However, that’s where NASCAR starts if they step up the program they have now. Education, make it mandatory for all drivers, crewmembers and even the owners to attend drug awareness sessions conducted by trained professionals in the field and specifically tailored in what to watch for.

From experience I can attest they work and the seminars in addition to mandatory and random testing should alleviate the vast majority of suspicions. Based on the evidence on hand, unless some drivers are lying through their teeth, they’re fully onboard with any testing program that may be instituted.

One last item, I saw a couple people recommend NASCAR farm out any drug program and/or testing to the International Olympic Committee. While the IOC program deals with many more types of abuse, blood doping being one of the most predominate, the IOC’s program has been rife with various problems over the years. My advice is to stay the hell away from them if for no other reason, they have far too much on their plate now. They don’t need the business, and NASCAR needs them even less.

Technorati Tags: NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Jim Hunter, Aaron Fike