THERE'S LIFE AFTER DRUG SUSPENSION, SOMEWHAT

DAYTONA BEACH -- Six months ago, Shane Hmiel was considered one of NASCAR's
bright young drivers, a rising star on the cusp of the sport's highest
level, the Nextel Cup Series.

Today he's scrambling to resurrect his career after testing positive in
September for a substance banned by NASCAR's substance abuse policy.

Hmiel says he's determined to turn his setback into a success story, and
has made great strides toward that end. He was reinstated by NASCAR on
Friday after a five-month suspension that included random drug tests and
participation in a drug treatment program.

Still, the 23-year-old will be the first to admit one of the indisputable
truths in modern-day NASCAR: Mess with drugs, you're messing with your career.

"I think it's set me back now for the next two years," said Hmiel, who was
suspended in September after failing a drug test in Richmond, Va. "But when
I'm 40 years old, or 15 or 20 years from now, I think it will be better. I
think I'll still be racing instead of sitting on the couch."

Hmiel isn't the only driver to be sidelined by substance abuse revelations.
Craftsman Truck Series driver Brian Rose was suspended by NASCAR in April
and later charged with multiple drug offenses in Kentucky.

Jamie Skinner, son of veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner, was preparing to
join the ARCA RE/MAX series when he was arrested for drug possession in
2001. Neither Skinner nor Rose has resumed their racing careers.

Missouri driver Sammy Potashnik was arrested for drug possession in Flagler
County on Feb. 14, 2002, about a week before he was slated to begin his
Busch Series career with Jay Robinson Racing.

Potashnik was suspended and subsequently reinstated by NASCAR, but made
only one Busch Series start in 2002 and, like Rose and Skinner, has since
fallen off the NASCAR radar screen.

Hmiel's situation is far more promising.

The son of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Director of Technology Steve Hmiel was
informed of his reinstatement Friday and promptly announced a deal to drive
for owner Billy Balew in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, starting with
next Friday's Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Still, it remains unclear whether a Busch Series race team will be willing
to take a chance on Hmiel, at least in the short term. Prior to his
suspension, his name was being mentioned as a candidate for a Nextel Cup
ride in 2004.

"We'll find out," said Hmiel, who declined to disclose the substance for
which he tested positive. "We're going to try and race as many races as we
can in that truck . . . Hopefully we can get it to where I can race as many
races as I can and get back on my feet."

A larger consequence to his suspension might be his ability to find
sponsors, which can be difficult even for drivers without Hmiel's baggage.

"I won't say (sponsorship) will be entirely closed to him," said Jimmy
Schaeffler of the Carmel Group, a marketing research firm in
Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. "But advertising opportunities, at least for now,
will be limited for somebody like that.

Hmiel says he's worked hard to improve his off-track behavior during his
five months away from racing. Now, as he prepares to return to the track,
he's just thankful for a second chance.

"I was thinking when everything went down, I was like, 'I've got a little
money saved in the bank, I'm gonna go start a business, do landscaping or
something like that,' " Hmiel said. "My dad was like, 'No, you're not
supposed to do that. You're meant to drive race cars and we'll do whatever
it takes to fix it to get you back where you were.' I did everything they
asked me, and I'm grateful they reinstated me, especially as early as they
did."