Shane Hmiel is gone from NASCAR. At least that's the word from NASCAR following failure of yet another drug test for Hmiel - he has received a "lifetime" suspension from the sport. Shane Hmiel first got in trouble in 2003 but bounced back and won at Las Vegas in the Truck Series, but got in bigger trouble in 2005 after driving Todd Braun's #32 for most of that year.
Curiously, this occurs in the wake of Ricky Williams' pending one-year suspension for failing the NFL's substance abuse policy. The Miami Dolphins rusher quit the league for 2004 to avoid a lengthy suspension for failing a drug test, then came back when the Dolphins sued to get back a massive signing bonus he received.
Now the psychology of people like Shane Hmiel and Ricky Williams can be complicated, but the question should still be asked - just what is it about drugs that is so important to them that they'd sacrifice lucrative sporting careers to indulge in such substances? Now I confess having no personal insight into addiction, but I think even people with a personal insight can be puzzled by cases like Shane Hmiel and Ricky Williams.
Being primarily a race fan, my own message to Shane Hmiel is simple - grow up. Whatever it is you're ingesting - and NASCAR isn't saying - stop ingesting it.
NASCAR may come in for some outside criticism for the harshness of their penalty, but if they do, so be it.
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