NASCAR suspends ESPN analyst Randy Lajoie for failing drug test

Randy Lajoie fails NASCAR drug test, suspended

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR on Tuesday suspended former driver Randy LaJoie for failing a drug test, and he said he’s enrolled in a substance-abuse program.

LaJoie, who has not raced at any of NASCAR’s top three national levels since 2006, said in a statement that he smoked marijuana once in May.

“My use of marijuana was an isolated incident following the Coca-Cola 600,” he said. “I plan to follow the recommendations of the substance abuse counselor and suggestions of NASCAR and hope that someday I can prove to NASCAR and all the people with whom I associate that I have taken such steps to see that instances such as this do not reoccur.”

In an interview Tuesday on SIRIUS XM Radio, Lajoie said he has also been suspended from his role as a NASCAR analyst with ESPN.

ESPN confirmed Lajoie had been indefinitely suspended.

LaJoie was tested by NASCAR because he applied for a license on June 3 to become a spotter for one of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nationwide Series teams. He said in his statement he voluntarily submitted to the test.

Lajoie raced in 44 races over 12 years in NASCAR’s elite Cup Series. His success was in the Nationwide Series, where he won 15 races over 19 seasons.

NASCAR toughened its drug testing policy before last season, and in May, 2009 suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield for failing a random drug test. He fought it through the court system, but a federal judge dismissed the case last month.