Coming clean on cream
Hornaday used it to treat an ailment
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LOUDON, N.H. - Craftsman Truck Series defending champion Ron Hornaday acknowledged using testosterone cream in periods from 2004 to '06, explaining yesterday he had used the product to treat a condition that has since been diagnosed as Graves' disease, or a hyperactive thyroid.
NASCAR approved the 50-year-old Hornaday, driver of the No. 33 Chevrolet, to compete in today's Camping World RV Rental 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
"It's over and done with," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications. "He's cleared to race. We don't see where Ron did anything wrong."
According to ESPN The Magazine, Hornaday received the cream from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center, the same facility that supplied human growth hormone to Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Red Sox pitcher Paul Byrd when he was with Cleveland.
ESPN reported that the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center also sent shipments of HGH to Lindy Hornaday, the driver's wife. Kevin Harvick, owner of Hornaday's truck, shot down any talk about HGH.
"We're not dragging Lindy Hornaday into this," said Harvick. "We've already violated enough personal records. These are personal health issues. Ron was kind enough to show NASCAR and us his personal health issues. On the HGH side, we're not getting into that."
Hornaday said he started to feel ill in December 2004, with weight loss and fatigue being two primary complaints. Hornaday was referred to the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center by a friend, and after tests and consultations, he was prescribed the cream. According to ESPN, Hornaday used the cream daily for 13 months.
"We've got all the paperwork, bloodwork, everything he went through to get the cream," said Harvick. "The diagnosis of why it was prescribed and why all the stuff came to him. There are a lot of different health issues you use steroids for."
In 2005, Hornaday continued to lose weight and underwent an emergency appendectomy in April. That year, another doctor diagnosed Hornaday with gastrolitis.
But Hornaday still lost weight. In February 2006, after Hornaday competed in the Racetickets.com 200 at California Speedway (he required an IV before the race), Harvick scheduled another doctor's appointment for his driver at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid. Hornaday has been taking a medication called Synthroid to treat the condition. He was informed that he could have died if not for the Graves' disease diagnosis.
Hunter said NASCAR will issue a revised substance-abuse policy in several weeks.
"Our substance-abuse policy is based on reasonable suspicion," Hunter said. "If you talk to physicians - and I encourage you to do so - on a case-by-case basis, depending on what a person's condition is, there are prescriptions with all sorts of substances that are used for treatment. In some cases, those are acceptable. In Ron's case, that was back in '04 and '05. It's over."
Hornaday is second in the truck standings, 94 points behind leader Johnny Benson. Hornaday had the fastest truck in the final practice yesterday, turning a fast lap of 126.509 miles per hour.
"Am I ashamed? No," Hornaday said. "I would do it today, but from 2004 to 2008, there are different laws. I'd seen a nurse. I showed Kevin and DeLana [Harvick]. Wasn't even upset when this guy was talking to me about it.
"I just had to call Kevin and tell him this guy is going to write a story. I've got all the documents. Kevin's got them in his hands right there. He showed NASCAR. I have nothing to hide."
Brown bread
David Ragan, who had a 32d-place finish last week at Richmond International Raceway, missed the cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup by two slots.But that didn't keep UPS from signing a multiyear deal with Ragan to become the Roush Fenway Racing driver's primary sponsor starting in 2009. Ragan currently drives the AAA
"It's a marquee sponsor in this sport," said team owner Jack Roush. "It's one of the most widely known brands in households all over the world, and to have them as part of the Roush partnership is really a great thing for us."
UPS currently sponsors David Reutimann's No. 44
Spin control
Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Toyota, spun on the front straightaway and crinkled both ends of his Camry. Also spinning during practice was Chad McCumbee in the No. 45 Dodge . . . Clint Bowyer, who controlled last year's Sylvania 300 to claim his first career checkered flag, had the fastest car in practice yesterday, making a spin around the track at 130.273 m.p.h. "With all the names of this sport, to be able to say you dominated the race and beat them fair and square is just a very, very cool feeling," Bowyer said. "It's something I will never forget and something every time you pull in here, you'll think about it and strive to do it again." . . . Jimmie Johnson, gunning for his third straight Sprint Cup championship, was second fastest behind Bowyer (130.153 m.p.h.) . . . Connecticut youngster Joey Logano, who will make his Cup debut tomorrow, had his qualifying sprint canceled for the second week in a row (rain washed out qualifying last week at Richmond). Logano was only 36th fastest during practice (127.696 m.p.h.) . . . Rain wiped out yesterday's Camping World Series East Heluva Good! 125. The race has been rescheduled for today at 10 a.m. . . . Qualifying for today's truck race was canceled.
