| Aaron Fike | |
| Birth Date: | 24 November 1982 |
| Birth Place: | Galesburg, Illinois, U.S. |
| Awards: | 2002, 2003 United States Auto Club National Midget Driver of the Year |
| Total Busch Races: | 52 |
| Years In Busch: | 3 |
| Best Busch Pos: | 28th (2005) |
| First Busch Race: | 2004 Goody's Headache Powder 200 (Rockingham) |
| Last Busch Race: | 2006 New England 200 (New Hampshire) |
| Busch Wins: | 0 |
| Busch Top Tens: | 1 |
| Busch Poles: | 0 |
| Total Truck Races: | 12 |
| Years In Truck: | 1 |
| Best Truck Pos: | 25th (2007) |
| First Truck Race: | 2007 Chevy Silverado HD 250 (Daytona) |
| Last Truck Race: | 2007 O'Reilly 200 (Memphis) |
| Truck Wins: | 0 |
| Truck Top Tens: | 4 |
| Truck Poles: | 0 |
| Updated: | 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.
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.
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]
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.
(key)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Hemelgarn Racing | KAN | NSH | MIS | KTY | STL | CHI | TXS | 5th | 186 | |||||
| 2003 | HMS | PHX | INDY | PPR | KAN | NSH | MIS | GAT | KTY | CHI | FON | TXS | 6th | 328 | |
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)| NASCAR Busch Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | Pts | Ref | |
| 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 | 46th | 802 | [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 | 27th | 2010 | [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 | 43rd | 1004 | [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 | ||||||||||||||||||
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)