by Ryan McGee

But here in NASCAR, we have plenty of headlines to embrace and stories to celebrate. And they just happen to be the kind of stuff that we can wrap our arms around without having to take a shower afterward. The Chase looms large, the season's second biggest race is this weekend, and new stars have emerged while old ones have been reborn.

No one is getting arrested. No one is on dope. And no one is standing in the front of the cameras mute while their lawyers and agents do their talking for them.

With that feel-good spirit in mind, here are just a few reasons to get on your knees and be thankful that you are a NASCAR fan.

1. People that use drugs disappear.

The biggest NASCAR name discovered on the wrong end of a pharmaceutical lab over the last 10 years has been Shane Hmiel, former Busch Series driver. Note the use of the word "former". Hmiel was suspended four months in 2003 for failing a random drug test. After reinstatement, he was then tested more than 15 times by NASCAR officials to keep him in check. When he failed another drug test earlier this season he was suspended "indefinitely".

NASCAR is a tight-knit community that travels together each and every week. And one guy under the influence of anything is a threat to the lives of everyone around him. So when there is suspicion surrounding any individual, the garage polices itself, and NASCAR targets the suspects with a "pop test". League V.P. Jim Hunter said earlier this year that he estimates about 20 of those tests are administered each season.

When Hmiel was busted, he wasn't suspended for a paltry 10 days, Rafael Palmeiro, even after his first offense. And he wasn't allowed six suspensions before finally being show the door, Steve Howe. He was taken out of his car in the middle of practice in front of the entire garage and escorted off the premises.

That's how you keep people from using banned substances.

2. Contract negotiations are kept out of the paper.

While Terrell Owens and his smarmy agent, Drew Rosenhaus, hold press conferences and threaten holdouts to renegotiate an already agreed to contract, the poor Philadelphia Eagles players and fans aren't allowed to prepare for a return to the Super Bowl. They are too busy asking and answering questions about Owens and how much money he'll make this season.

The closest NASCAR has come to such public haggling is the current bizarre situation with Jamie McMurray and his move from Ganassi to Roush Racing in 2007. When will McMurray actually make the move? How much is he making now? How much will he make after the move?

No one knows, and no one will know. Why? Because McMurray, Roush and Ganassi refuse to talk about it. "Contract details are private and confidential," says Roush, "Next question."

Good! We would rather talk about your chances of winning at Indianapolis this weekend anyway. Besides, no matter how bad the tug-of-war gets, I suspect Jamie won't refuse to show up for Daytona testing in January just to prove a point.

3. There are no work stoppages.

Other sports revolve continuously around the expiration dates of the labor agreements in place between the millionaire athletes and the billionaire front-office suits. The biggest recent headlines in two of the four major league stick-and-ball sports have involved more boring labor jargon than a Yale Law school Lecture. The NHL is back on track after one year off the ice, and the NBA is patting itself on the back for narrowly avoiding a lockout/strike this fall.

None of this non-sport jabbering is relevant to NASCAR. Every driver, every team and a handful of the racetracks operate as independent contractors. The drivers have attempted to unionize once before; a cooperative with the Teamsters was squashed by NASCAR President Bill France Sr. in 1961. Since that time, a relatively friendly back-and-forth exchange has existed between the league and its competitors. There have always been plenty of disagreements, but in the end both sides realize that a war would do nothing but sink the ship that they all ride to the bank aboard.

When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, drivers and track owners and NASCAR officials all put their heads together and forced each other to come up with solutions. The result was safer cars, softer walls, and a significant reduction in serious injuries. A better sport.

So go home this weekend and watch the Nextel Cup race at Indianapolis with your head held high. Listen to the drivers talk about shocks and springs and winning and losing. And take this weekend's sports pages, the ones covered up in all the talk of holdouts and steroids and labor disputes, and use them to line the bottom of your cockatoo cage.

Gentlemen start your engines! Let those other guys run their mouths.

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Ryan McGee is the managing editor at NASCAR Images. He can be reached at his e-mail address: rmcgee@foxsports.com.