NASCAR officials announced Saturday they have amended their Substance Abuse Policy for the 2009 season. One of the toughest substance abuse policies in all of sports, the steps being taking for next season will make it much tougher to go undetected.

All drivers in the Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Cup Series, all NASCAR Officials and every over-the-wall crew member will be required to participate in a baseline test prior to the beginning of the 2009 season. The test will be administered by an AEGIS, an outside agency, beginning at the preseason test session at Daytona International Speedway. In addition to the baseline test, every car owner will be required to conduct internal tests for all of its NASCAR licensed personnel, certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

In addition to the baseline tests conducted prior to the start of the season, random tests will now be implemented at the track. NASCAR Vice President of Racing Operations, Steve O'Donnell and Jim Hunter, Vice President of Corporate Communications explained the testing would be conducted at "most, if not all" events. The list of drivers, officials, and over-the-wall crew members being tested at the track will be randomly generated by a computer program administered by AEGIS, not NASCAR.

O'Donnell explained the number of crew members and officials tested each weekend would be around twelve to fourteen people, per series, per weekend. As far as drivers are concerned, they predict two drivers, per series, per weekend will be tested.

NASCAR will work with drivers and crew members in order to accommodate the always busy schedule at the track in order to ensure thorough testing is carried out at most, if not all events. A failure to show up for the mandatory test will result in an automatic test failure, and an immediate suspension.

"We have made a very good policy even better with the addition of random tests," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said of the amended policy. "NASCAR's policy has long given us the ability to test anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Random tests now provide us and the industry with additional information."

While this new policy was announced Saturday at Dover International Speedway, the one thing not announced was the list of substances being tested for. "We think we have the broadest policy in all of sports," O'Donnell went on to say. "The reason we don't have a list is because we think a list is restrictive. If you've seen a lot of other leagues, their policies are always changing. We know there are new drugs out there every day. By having a broad policy that doesn't list anything, we feel like we can test for any substance that may be abused."

The amended policy will still allow NASCAR to test drivers, crew members and officials if there is reasonable suspicion. "We reserve the right [to test] today," O'Donnell clarified. "If any one of our officials sees a driver that we think has a problem, we can test them immediately. The reasonable suspicion clause stays in effect for our policy, has been in effect and will remain so."

As far as violators are concerned, a positive test will result in an immediate suspension from the sport. Three failed tests will result in a ban for life, however NASCAR made it clear they reserve the right to ban a competitor, official or crew member for life even after one failed test.

Jim Hunter made clear it extremely clear, "We still have a zero tolerance for substance abuse."

While the new policy is primarily focused on the three national touring series, O'Donnell and NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston explained it is a possibility this new policy will make its way to the various NASCAR regional touring series as well.