DRUG TESTING RARE IN WINSTON CUP RACING

CONCORD, N.C. -- As a coach in the NFL, Joe Gibbs worried every day about
players flunking drug tests.

As an owner of two Winston Cup teams, the thought that one of his drivers
or crew members might flunk a drug test never crosses his mind.

"I've been in this sport for 10 years, not one incident," Gibbs said as he
prepared for today's UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Think
about that. Many of the other sports struggle like mad."

Gibbs finds the topic so unusual that he chuckled when it was brought up.

"If I were in football or basketball or something, that would be one of my
major concerns because we dealt with it a lot," said Gibbs, who coached the
Washington Redskins from 1981-1992. "We had to. I don't think there is any
need for it over here."

NASCAR began a substance-abuse policy between the 1987 and 1988 seasons.
The policy allows NASCAR to hold drug and alcohol tests randomly on anyone
with a NASCAR competitor's license, which covers practically every member
of every crew.

The tests can be conducted throughout the season without warning.

In 1988, Tim Richmond became the first driver to be tested when several
drivers expressed a fear that he was doing drugs. He provided NASCAR with a
urine sample before the Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway, the
season's first event.

It later was discovered that Richmond was suffering from AIDS.

NASCAR President Mike Helton said he could think of only one incident in
recent years in which somebody tested positive for drugs, and that person
was not a driver.

"What you can see is there has not been any reaction from NASCAR or
penalties or fines for these things," Helton said. "But we still feel it's
necessary to have a policy to make sure everybody understands that we are
watching them."

Like other major professional and college sports, NASCAR has the right to
conduct random drug tests after an event. Unlike other sports, the tests
are seldom, if ever, conducted.

Asked if tests periodically are given to drivers, Helton said, "We could."
Asked if that has happened this year, he repeated, "We could."

Pushed further, he said, "I ain't gonna say whether we do it or not. I'm
saying we have the ability to do it."

NASCAR officials declined to comment on how many, if any, tests have been
conducted this year. They also declined to comment on what substances
NASCAR tests for.

None of the eight randomly selected drivers for this article said they had
been tested. Only Sterling Marlin said he knew of somebody who had been
tested. Several weren't aware NASCAR had a drug-testing policy.

They all agreed it wasn't necessary.

"No drivers in NASCAR do drugs," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said emphatically.

"This sport was raised on hustling corn liquor. No one ever grew marijuana
in the back yard."

Earnhardt Jr. said coming to the track with alcohol, much less drugs, in
their system is a thing of "the way old days, the '40s and '50s."

"I ran a race with a hangover back in the days," said Earnhardt Jr., who
will turn 28 on Wednesday. "Not Winston Cup, though. It's just never been
an issue. We've never had anybody who looked suspect."

Kenny Wallace, who is driving the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet for injured
Steve Park, agreed.

"It's great that they have a drug-testing policy, but we don't need it the
way they do in other sports," he said. "Those guys usually get into trouble
trying to enhance their physical performance.

"If we were seen in a bar at the wrong time we'd be in trouble."

Said Jeremy Nadeau, the driver of the UAW-Delphi Chevrolet: "We all may be
a little weird driving 200 mph, but I don't think we're weird enough to do
drugs."

Drug testing is a common subject in track and field, basketball, football
and baseball. The U.S. Chess Federation even instituted tests a few years ago.

But in NASCAR the topic is as rare as a wine-and-cheese crowd in the infield.

Brett Bodine said he could count on one hand the number of people he knew
who did drugs, and none were drivers.

"You've got to understand, racing is probably the only sport in the world
where you suffer from your opponent's mistake," he said. "Any other sport,
a fumble or somebody steps out of bounds, the opposing player makes the gain.

"If my opponent makes a mistake, it causes an accident and takes me out, or
the ultimate, he takes my life. So we don't allow that kind of stuff to go
on. We're basically self-policing."

Many drivers are tested before the season during their annual physical. All
are required to sign a document agreeing to random testing by NASCAR.

"I know we do an adequate amount of testing, and that's still a small
volume compared to other sports," Helton said.

Some team owners, such as Gibbs, Jack Roush and Roger Penske, have drug
policies in their company manuals that allow them to test outside the
supervision of NASCAR.

Gibbs said his policy is printed in the team manual and every employee must
sign off on it.

Helton said the ability to have independent policies makes NASCAR different
from other sports.

"The difference is the teams are independent contractors," he said. "The
crew members are employees of those independent contractors, but they're
also members of NASCAR."

Tony Stewart, the driver of Gibbs' Home Depot Pontiac, said he's proud to
be associated with a sport that needs so little policing. He said that
might be one reason the sport is growing in popularity.

"You don't see drugs," he said. "You don't see DUI charges. You don't see
the drivers beating their wives. I think I've heard of two drivers in my
lifetime that were in trouble for anything."

Earnhardt Jr. doesn't believe that will change.

"I don't think it's a compliment to say we don't do drugs," he said. "It's
just the difference between right and wrong.