NASCAR: Hmiel out until at least the 2007 season Official Release June 22, 2005 03:12 PM EDT (19:12 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Driver Shane Hmiel has been suspended from NASCAR competition until at least 2007, NASCAR officials said Wednesday.
At that time, NASCAR will evaluate whether or not he will be allowed to return to competition.
Hmiel was suspended indefinitely June 3 after failing a substance abuse test. It was Hmiel's second offense.
He was first suspended in September 2003 after failing a substance abuse test. He completed a prescribed rehabilitation program and was reinstated for NASCAR competition in February 2004.
NASCAR will lay out a road map for Hmiel's possible reinstatement in 2007, including a rehabilitation program that will include medical and psychological reviews, as well as frequent testing.
NASCAR will continue to be vigilant in enforcing its Substance Abuse Policy. The policy, based on reasonable suspicion, allows NASCAR to broadly administer tests virtually anytime, anywhere.
Nothing like losing 2 years out of a promising nascar career for drugs... good job Hmiel!
Why not make him do longer rehabilitation programs, public service ads for no money, test him every week or every time he enters a vehicle in racing capacity (practice, test sessions, qualifying, races, etc.).
forget that he won't be considered a 'young gun' anymore, but the very fact that he will not be able to keep his skills sharp enough to return in '07 makes this too much of a penalty.
I think its perfect punishment. They gave him a chance before... and when they let him back in, they made him agree to random drug testing. He's the one who couldn't speak because of the drugs... and had tempers.. I never really liked him, and when DJ confronted him at Bristol, I was pretty happy {And laughing my ass off}. Shane deserves anything NASCAR does... Keep him out for a while!
Nascar has had this policy that they can test whoever they want, whenever they want, and why they want since 1988. And to my recollection, this is the first major incident since then. I would say that is a pretty good track record whereas you have the other sports deal with the cases by the hundreds.
Compared to the other major sports and substance abuse,Nascar drivers are a bunch of choir boys. I am all for second changes when it comes to someone making a mistake but this was his 2nd offense. 2007 is more than fair.
Whose to say he was taking it to be competitive? It hasn't been concluded that it was steroids. It probably was just some personal addicition to some other kind of drug.
well 1 season is not that bad of a deal and its not that big of a deal when it happens in baseball its all over the news for months but thats not the case here the only ppl who no bout it are the diehard fans who go to nascar.com and all the other sites so its not that big and it most likely wasnt steroids haha prolly that winfeul crap haha but that did put a halt on my busch series picks left me with tim fedewa