Aaron Fike

Last updated
Aaron Fike
Born (1982-11-24) November 24, 1982 (age 41)
Galesburg, Illinois, U.S.
Awards2002, 2003 United States Auto Club National Midget Driver of the Year
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
52 races run over 3 years
Best finish28th (2005)
First race 2004 Goody's Headache Powder 200 (Rockingham)
Last race 2006 New England 200 (New Hampshire)
WinsTop tens Poles
010
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
12 races run over 1 year
Best finish25th (2007)
First race 2007 Chevy Silverado HD 250 (Daytona)
Last race 2007 O'Reilly 200 (Memphis)
WinsTop tens Poles
040
Statistics current as of August 21, 2012.

Aaron Fike (born November 24, 1982) is an American racing driver, a former competitor in NASCAR and USAC. The younger brother of A. J. Fike, he was suspended from NASCAR competition from 2007 to 2012 due to a drug-related arrest.

Contents

Open-wheel career

Fike began racing in 2001 in the USAC Silver Crown Series, where he became the youngest driver to win a Silver Crown race (breaking Jeff Gordon's record). He finished tenth in points, earning him the Rookie of the Year award.

In 2002, he won seven midget feature races in addition to winning the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association championship. He also raced in the IRL Infiniti Pro Series for Hemelgarn Racing, finishing fifth with a win at Chicagoland.

In 2003, Fike won the World Championship Midget Feature in Auckland, New Zealand, and the USAC Night Before the 500 race. He competed in the full Infiniti Pro Series schedule, with a win at Pikes Peak on route to a sixth-place finish.

NASCAR career

Fike made his stock car debut towards the end of 2003 in an ARCA RE/MAX Series race at South Boston Speedway, where he finished 9th.

He began racing part-time in the Busch Series in 2004 in the #43 Curb Agajanian Performance Group car, and for GIC-Mixon Motorsports. His best finish that year came at the Stacker 200 Presented by YJ Stinger, where he finished 17th.

For 2005, Fike signed a driver development contract with Brewco Motorsports, and split time in their #66 Duraflame Ford Taurus with Greg Biffle. He recorded his first top-ten finish at the Salute to the Troops 250 Presented by Dodge, where he finished eighth. He also ran 17 races with the #43, his best finish in that car being a 14th at Homestead. At the end of the year, he was released from his contract at Brewco.

He started 2006 driving the #43 for Curb, but soon signed with Kevin Harvick Incorporated for a limited schedule. He was released after two races.

Fike drove for Red Horse Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007, where he had four top-ten finishes. He was arrested in the parking lot of Kings Island in July 2007, and subsequently suspended by NASCAR and released from his contract. [1]

In March 2003, Fike was arrested for driving under the influence in his home town of Galesburg, Illinois, being eventually eventually released. [2]

On July 7, 2007, Fike and his long-time girlfriend and fiancée, Red Horse crew member Cassandra "Casi" Davidson, were arrested in the parking lot of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. [3] Fike attempted to evade police when asked to exit his truck, striking an officer with the mirror of the vehicle; upon being stopped and searched, syringes containing brown liquid, which Fike admitted were heroin, were found within the vehicle. Davidson stated that the heroin was used by both her and Fike. Both were arrested on charges of possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

On July 11, 2007, Fike (as well as Davidson) was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2007 NASCAR Rule Book. Red Horse Racing released Fike from his contract the following day. On August 29, the misdemeanor possession of drug abuse instruments charge was dropped by prosecutors. [4]

Though he initially pleaded not guilty, in November 2007, Fike pleaded guilty to possession of a drug abuse instrument and a reduced charge of attempted possession of heroin, both misdemeanors. He admitted that he'd spent 4 months in treatment for the addiction, and publicly stated that the habit almost killed him at least once. He was sentenced to two years of probation after agreeing to establish a non-profit anti-drug group, Racing Against Drugs. [5]

In an April 2008 interview for ESPN, Fike admitted to years of painkiller abuse, as well as heroin use on race days. [6]

2008 midget car AaronFike2008MidgetCar.jpg
2008 midget car

Fike returned to racing midget cars at Angell Park Speedway and the USAC national tour after his NASCAR suspension; he was tested upon arrival at the track for every race. [6]

Fike was reinstated by NASCAR on August 21, 2012, upon his successful completion of NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy Road to Recovery Program. [7] Fike has not competed in NASCAR since.

Motorsports career results

American Open-Wheel racing results

(key)

Infiniti Pro Series

YearTeam123456789101112RankPoints
2002 Hemelgarn Racing KAN
11		 NSH
3		 MIS
4		 KTY
14		 STL
14		 CHI
1		 TXS
12		5th186
2003 HMS
8		 PHX INDY
6		 PPR
1*		 KAN
4		 NSH
14		 MIS
4		 GAT
6		 KTY
6		 CHI
5		 FON
6		 TXS
5		6th328

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435NBSCPtsRef
2004 Curb Racing 43 Dodge DAY CAR
35		 LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH
39		 TAL CAL GTY RCH NZH
30		 CLT DOV IRP
23		 MCH BRI CAL RCH
43		 DOV
17		 KAN
39		 CLT
33		 MEM
35		 ATL PHO
34		 DAR
42		 HOM
33		46th802 [8]
GIC–Mixon Motorsports 24 Chevy NSH
36		 KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR
2005 Curb Racing 43 Dodge DAY CAL MXC LVS
27		 ATL
DNQ		 TEX
DNQ		 PHO TAL
22		 DAR DAY
38		 CHI
42		 MCH
34		 BRI CAL
37		 TEX
29		27th2010 [9]
Brewco Motorsports 66 Ford NSH
35		 BRI NSH
38		 MLW
20		 PPR
8		 GTY
31		 IRP
19		 GLN MEM
35
Curb Racing 43 Ford RCH
30		 CLT DOV
26		 KEN
18		 NHA
24		 RCH
23		 DOV
23		 KAN
26		 CLT
14		 PHO
20		 HOM
16
2006 Dodge DAY
43		 CAL
36		 MXC
28		 LVS
40		 ATL
26		 BRI
18		 TEX
31		 NSH
15		 PHO
31		 TAL
23		 RCH
35		 DAR
43		 CLT
DNQ		 DOV 43rd1004 [10]
Kevin Harvick Incorporated 33 Chevy NSH
42		 KEN
31		 MLW DAY CHI NHA
30		 MAR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425NCTSCPtsRef
2007 Red Horse Racing 1 Toyota DAY
16		 CAL
18		 ATL
12		 MAR
7		 KAN
8		 CLT
14		 MFD
24		 DOV
10		 TEX
11		 MCH
17		 MLW
21		 MEM
5		 KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 25th1487 [11]

Busch East Series

NASCAR Busch East Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011NBESCPtsRef
2006 Pritchard Motorsports 41 Chevy GRE STA HOL TMP ERI NHA
29		 ADI WFD NHA DOV LRP 65th76 [12]

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Re/Max Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122ARSCPtsRef
2003 Ray Montgomery Racing 27 Dodge DAY ATL NSH SLM TOL KEN CLT BLN KAN MCH LER POC POC NSH ISF WIN DSF CHI SLM TAL CLT
16		 SBO
9		54th585 [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "NASCAR.COM - Fike: 'If it were not for my arrest, I would be dead' - Nov 28, 2007". www.nascar.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16.
  2. ↑ "Brack starts strong in bid to bounce back". The Indianapolis Star. March 22, 2003. p. 45. Retrieved October 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. ↑ "NASCAR Driver Arrested At Kings Island - Cincinnati breaking news, weather radar, traffic from 9News | Channel 9 WCPO.com". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Register-Mail.com - Galesburg Register-Mail Online". Archived from the original on April 12, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Cincinnati News, Sports and Things to Do | Cincinnati Enquirer". The Enquirer.
  6. 1 2 http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/truck/news/story?id=3336865 ESPN - Former truck racer Fike admits using heroin on race days
  7. ↑ "NASCAR reinstates Fike, 5 years after suspension". si.com. Sports Illustrated. August 21, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2004 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2005 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2006 NASCAR Busch East Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Aaron Fike – 2003 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
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