NASCAR is really serious in making the series clean. They recently suspended indefinitely three guys for having a positive drug test during a mandatory testing at NASCAR. Jeremy Mayfield, a high profile racer and team owner was suspended together with two other crew members. Ben Williams, a crewmember of the #16 team and Tony Martin, a member of team #34 both failed during the same round of drug testing. Although officials of the NASCAR were silent on what particular drugs these 3 took that caused their suspension. According to the press release all three were found to have violated Sections 12-1 which deals with actions detrimental to stock car racing. They also violated section 7-5 which is the violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy.

Under the 2009 NASCAR rule book any violation of these policies would also apply the organization’s privacy policy so the specific information on the drug is withheld from the public. Some experts speculated that the suspension could only mean two things, it’s either due to pot or steroids.

In a statement released to the media, Mayfield said that the positive result was due to the allergy medicines that he is currently taking. “As both a team owner and a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, I have immense respect for the enforcement policies NASCAR has in place.” Mayfield also added that, “In my case, I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over-the-counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test.”

His agent, Bobby Wooten also said that Mayfield was taking allergy medicine when the urine samples were collected weeks ago at Richmond International Raceway.

However, the drug tester disagreed with Mayfield’s claim. He said that it is not possible that those medicines for allergies caused the positive result. David Black of the Tennessee-based Aegis Labs, which conducts NASCAR’s random testing program, said that the result is a clear violation of policy. “In my many years of experience, I have never seen a violation like this due to the combination of over-the-counter or prescription products,” he added.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said that Mayfield must undergo a treatment program before he could return to racing. “If that program is successfully completed, then the competitor may attempt to seek reinstatement,” Poston said. With this statement, we can conclude that Mayfield is under a prohibited substance such as steroids.

Last February, one of the crew members of Mayfield was also suspended for failed drug test. Jeremy Mayfield even issued a statement that he strongly support and endorse NASCAR’s drug testing policy to make the sport stronger overall.

Before the start of the series, NASCAR was clear in its objective this season. They will be randomly testing racers and crewmembers for steroids, amphetamines and recreational drugs and violators will face sanctions which include lifetime ban.

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