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France defends NASCAR's drug policy

NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield wipes his face outside the federal courthouse in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, July 1, 2009. A judge has lifted Mayfield's suspension, saying the NASCAR driver should be allowed to race. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian France answers questions at a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2009.(AP Photo/Terry Renna)

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NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian France answers questions at a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2009.(AP Photo/Terry Renna)

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NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian France answers questions at a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2009.(AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

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By JENNA FRYER, The Associated Press Updated 3:11 PM Friday, July 3, 2009

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Brian France defended NASCAR's drug testing policy as the toughest in professional sports, despite a federal judge's ruling that overturned driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension.

Mayfield was indefinitely suspended May 9 for what NASCAR said was a positive test for methamphetamines. He sued to be reinstated, and a federal judge issued an injunction Wednesday that allowed Mayfield to race this weekend based on Mayfield's argument that NASCAR's testing system is flawed.

U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen questioned the test results, saying the possibility of a false positive was quite substantial and ruled the harm to Mayfield significantly outweighed the harm to NASCAR.

But NASCAR's chairman said the sport needs a tough system that bans impaired drivers from competition.

"We remain very comfortable and very calm despite the ruling, that our policy is thorough, it's accurate, and it's fair," France said Friday at Daytona International Speedway, site of Saturday night's race.

"It's our responsibility to protect the drivers, the fans, other participants within the events. We have a very unique challenge relative to all sports, which is the inherent danger of somebody impaired on the racetrack."

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July 03, 2009 07:08 PM EDT

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