Why NASCAR Should Reveal What Drug AJ Allmendinger Tested Positive For

On Saturday, July 7th, approximately ninety minutes before the scheduled start of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Beach, Florida, race fans worldwide received shocking news: beloved driver AJ Allmendinger had failed a random drug test. The racing community was shocked- only one other driver had ever failed a drug test, and no one would draw parallels between former driver Jeremy Mayfield (most recently seen in the news when his dogs attacked a postal worker and he was reluctant to pay for her medical expenses) and Allmendinger. After the initial surprise had died down, however, the next logical question arose from concerned and confused fans- what exactly did Allmendinger test positive for? NASCAR and Allmendinger have refused to reveal this, claiming that it infringes upon his rights to privacy. However, by retaining this information, NASCAR is ignoring the other drivers' rights to know when their life is in jeopardy. They are also doing far greater damage to Allmendinger's reputation than simply announcing the alleged drug could ever do.

At the beginning of a race, there are 42 cars racing up to 200 miles an hour, often less than a foot apart. The delicate balance between racing and crashing is easily broken, and each driver has to trust that the others won't do anything to jeopardize his or her safety. If another driver is taking a reality- or performance-altering drug, the other drivers have the right to know about it. They also have the right to know exactly how endangered they were, which is information that can only be discovered by revealing the alleged drug. As the popular saying goes, "Your rights end where the other person's begin." Allmendinger's right to privacy ends where the other drivers' rights to their lives, and knowing the danger their lives are in, begins.

By withholding this information, NASCAR is also doing what may be irreparable damage to Allmendinger's reputation. Mere minutes after the news was announced, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook had exploded with assumptions and guesses about what drug Allmendinger had allegedly been caught using, basing their guesses off a former "driving while impaired" charge, or often no information at all. Even if Allmendinger tests another sample and it is negative, the damage from this accusation will likely never be forgotten, even by his fans. It is almost guaranteed that he will lose some of his fan base; it is likely that, if he races again, he will be booed during driver introductions; it is also likely that he will lose his job, because unpopular drivers don't make money. Even if Allmendinger is proven to be under the influence of drugs, a clean statement by both him and NASCAR would go much further to alleviating the hysteria than allowing rumors to run rampant. Whatever damage may come out of this scandal, secrecy will do nothing but inflame it.

The right to privacy is a respectable notion; most people agree fully that some things aren't other people's business. However, when keeping a secret begins to do more harm than good for all parties involved, it's time to take responsibility for your actions. AJ Allmendinger and NASCAR are free to make their own decisions, but the best option for all would be to disclose the alleged drug, inform the other drivers, as is their right, and put an end to the vicious rumors that may end Allmendinger's career.