Drivers want a clear list of banned medications, and Brian France may address that issue Friday

  
NASCAR's Brian France (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   CONCORD
   NASCAR CEO Brian France is expected to meet the press Friday afternoon at Lowe's Motor Speedway, possibly to address Jeremy Mayfield's indefinite suspension for violating NASCAR substance abuse policy at Richmond two weeks ago.
   And he may well meet with drivers too, who are keeping the Mayfield issue in the headlines.
   Ryan Newman is one of several drivers now insisting that NASCAR give drivers a specific list of banned drugs, and he says he wants to know specifically what NASCAR suspended Mayfield for.
   Some drivers point to allergy medications and potentially unrecognized drug interactions as their worries; Jeff Burton points to another issue, the use of fitness supplements.
   "I think everyone wants a list right now,'" Newman says. "I need some answers.
   "I think all the drivers are concerned about everything from multi-vitamins to prescriptions," Mark Martin says.
  "Dr. Black has been helpful…but there is still a gray area there.
   "And everybody is a little nervous about that right now.
   "Everyone is a little uneasy about over-the-counter and everything. The drivers I've talked to are on edge right now, based on what happened to Jeremy….and not knowing.
   "I've been in touch with Dr. Black this week, and other drivers, to make sure we're not going to have any problems. I asked about anti-inflammatories. About a third of the drivers in the garage have injuries and are probably taking anti-inflammatories.
   "The point is 'substance abuse.' And there is certainly not much of that going on in this garage.
   "My assumption was this drug policy was all about keeping marijuana and cocaine and heroin out of the sport."
   If Mayfield's violation were clear-cut, and not just a case of legal drug interactions, as Mayfield insists, Martin says drivers here would be more comfortable: "We would not be as on edge….but we would feel badly for Jeremy and our sport. We would feel better if we knew.
   "When NASCAR says 'zero tolerance,' what does that mean?
   "It's a little scary. It's our careers, man.
   "I'm sure we're all over-reacting a bit. But nobody wants to get caught up in any of that.
   "People have allergies and injuries….and Dr. Black says that's all fine. But it's still a little scary."
  
 

  
Ryan Newman: drivers want a clear list of what medications are out-of-bounds (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)