Test NASCAR’S unvaccinated

More than a year ago, NASCAR was one of the first major sports to resume competition in the pandemic, touting strict protocols as it headed back to the track.

The one thing NASCAR wouldn’t do back then was test its competitors for COVID -19, citing the short supply of tests just two months into the pandemic.

Fifteen months later, NASCAR still doesn’t test its drivers and crews — even though tests are easily available and daily testing could help the series as it barrels toward the playoffs with separate rules for the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

There’s been little attention on the hesitancy throughout the NASCAR garage, where only five Cup Series drivers have publicly disclosed they’ve received at least one shot. Joey Logano, one race away from launching his bid for a second championship, only got his shot last week because driver Corey Lajoie was sidelined under protocols that seemed to catch the drivers off guard.

Lajoie couldn’t race because he had close contact with someone else who had tested positive for the virus under protocols that have been updated since vaccines became widely available. Drivers wondered why a negative test wasn’t good enough for Lajoie to race, raising enough questions that NASCAR held a Friday call to clarify its policies.

It turned out there are separate guidelines depending on vaccination status. An unvaccinated driver who has close contact exposure must quarantine seven days and receive a negative test on Day 5 before they can return to the garage.

That means an unvaccinated driver will miss a race following close contact exposure, their title hopes dashed. A vaccinated driver can return to the garage with proof of a negative test taken 3-5 days after the close contact. There is no automatic benching, no requirement to miss a playoff race.

The drivers don’t think different rules depending on vaccination status is fair, and since Lajoie’s benching they are unlikely to be forthcoming about possible exposures and contact tracing. But there is a simple compromise available for NASCAR: daily testing.

Want to get in the garage? Show your proof of vaccination or arrive early enough to be rapid tested each day.

There is no reason why it can’t be done as Roger Penske proved this spring leading into the Indianapolis 500. Penske didn’t force anyone to be vaccinated, he simply said if you aren’t, then you better build time into your schedule each day to be tested before he’d let you into Gasoline Alley.

Indycar had some hesitant drivers and Penske gave them a choice. The alternative was certainly inconvenient for anyone trying to get to work on time, but it worked. Indycar confirmed Monday all of its drivers are all fully vaccinated.

Start testing. Then those who aren’t vaccinated can’t complain about two sets of rules and NASCAR can get out of reverse.