Over a two-year period from December 2004 to January 2006, Ron Hornaday, the defending champion of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, received shipments of testosterone and human growth hormone from an anti-aging center that has been linked to drug-related scandals in the NFL and Major League Baseball.
Hornaday acknowledged taking testosterone when shown records from the Palm Beach (Fla.) Rejuvenation Center, but he denied using growth hormone that was sent to his home for his wife’s use. Hornaday said he used the testosterone to treat a mysterious medical malady that later turned out to be a hyperactive thyroid. The drugs were shipped to Hornaday’s address in Mooresville from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center.
“I’d lost 38 pounds [in the 2004 season], and no doctor could tell me what was wrong,” Hornaday said, adding that a friend encouraged him to consult with the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center. A local nurse came to his house to take his blood, he said, and forwarded the results to the clinic. Hornaday provided records showing that the drugs were prescribed by doctors at the clinic within a day of that visit.
Hornaday, 50, is considered one of the best short-track racers in the sport. He is 94 points out of first place in this season’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings.
“I never knew that was a steroid,” he said.
“I couldn’t see a difference,” he said. “That’s why I stopped.”
Added Lindy: “He never took it at the track. Only at home.”
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said that Hornaday had not informed anyone in the league that he was using testosterone and that officials would seek more information from him before the Camping World RV Rental 200 in New Hampshire this weekend.
“It’s hard to see whether it’s a violation or not,” said Poston, who noted that NASCAR’s drug-testing policy prohibits the abuse of all drugs. “There are certain prescriptions that drivers can take, and we look at them on a case-by-case basis. If it’s not putting other drivers at risk or enhancing performance—and it’s used as intended—we’ll make determinations as they come up.”
Kevin Harvick, who owns the truck team on which Hornaday drives, defended his driver, even while acknowledging that Hornaday had not told him he was using the drug in 2005.
“Ron was sick. My wife DeLana and I could see it. And we got him help,” Harvick said. “But before that, Ron sought other avenues of treatment. Did he use the [testosterone] cream? Yes. Did he use it to enhance his performance? No. I feel like he did everything right to take care of himself.”
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