CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer Brian France stood solidly behind the sanctioning body's drug policy Friday, adding a specific definition of a "serious violation" as was the case with Jeremy Mayfield's test, which led to the Sprint Cup driver facing an immediate and indefinite suspension.

During a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway, France tried to assuage drivers' fears that they might mistakenly fail a drug test by using a combination of over-the-counter or prescription medications, as Mayfield claimed was the case at Darlington last weekend.

"Our particular test is extremely thorough," France said. "It will pick up almost any substance that should not be in your body. If you should test positive for over-the-counter medications or prescribed medications that you're on with your doctor, even though it would be identified, that doesn't result in NASCAR suspending you because you may not be in violation of the policy.

"Now, you will probably be talking to Dr. [David] Black or his associates to explain why you had a certain substance that was identified in the test. That's happened a lot and it doesn't get you a suspension. Last weekend, we had a serious violation of our substance abuse policy, which gets you in our situation, an automatic and indefinite suspension. And that is where we stand with Jeremy today. We've been down this road with other infractions of the policy in the past."

France said when the test picks up an unusual substance that appeared to be related to an over-the-counter or prescribed drug, doctors at Aegis Sciences Corp. -- the company that administers and monitors the testing -- contacts that person to get an explanation. But if the substance is on NASCAR's banned list, there is no recourse.

"What would happen in that situation is they would be on the phone -- and this has happened quite a bit, but we don't publicize it -- giving an explanation to Dr. Black or his associates," France said. "They would either agree with his explanation, or they wouldn't. Most of the time in that circumstance, it's resolved. It didn't alter them at the event, all the things we would be concerned about. It would be mostly prescribed medications and it would be resolved. It would not invoke an indefinite suspension of the kind that Jeremy or others have gotten." (Continued)