NASCAR amends drug-testing plan

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- NASCAR has amended its policies to include random drug testing for each of its racing circuits starting with the 2009 season.

The sanctioning body made the announcement Saturday at the Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., the site of this weekend's Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.

"We had a number of discussions with the other professional sports leagues," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's vice president of racing operations. "I think the bottom line with the policy is we get asked a lot of questions as to why we did this, why now."

The amended policy mandates that all drivers in NASCAR's three national series be tested, and team owners must also verify that all licensed crew members have been tested by a certified lab prior to the start of next season.

Also, NASCAR will test its officials before the season begins.

The officials, like the drivers and crew members, will be subject to random tests throughout the year.