NASCAR: No immediate changes to drug policy
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR does not plan any immediate changes to its substance-abuse policy in light of Jeremy Mayfield’s victory in obtaining a preliminary injunction forcing NASCAR to lift his suspension for an alleged positive drug test for methamphetamines, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday.
U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen issued the injunction Wednesday, saying that the potential harm to Mayfield is greater than any harm to NASCAR because NASCAR can drug-test him daily to ensure the safety of the event.
Part of Mayfield’s case questions the guidelines that NASCAR must follow in its drug-testing policy. Mayfield argues that NASCAR must follow the guidelines for federal agencies; NASCAR contends that it does not have to do so.
NASCAR will continue with its random drug-testing policy, which it implemented this year, during this weekend’s events at Daytona International Speedway just as it has done all year, Poston said.
“The policy is good,” Poston said. “At least for the short term, we’re going to continue on with the current substance-abuse policy. Any time any policy is changed, you learn a lot, and there’s information you get, so maybe down the road, once the dust settles, we will take a look back and see if there are some things that we can do differently to make it stronger.”
Poston said he is not aware of any challenges from any crew members suspended this year under the policy, and he did not think the ruling would prompt challenges.
“The judge’s order does not open the door to anything in the past,” Poston said. “What happened yesterday was a temporary injunction and was not the conclusion to the lawsuit. This is one very small part of a much larger process.”
Poston said NASCAR is still deciding whether to appeal Mullen’s decision on the injunction to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
