Randy Lajoie made a stupid decision. And he got caught. He quickly admitted to it, and deftly handled the situation.
Thankfully everyone seems to be moving on.
From the outset, Lajoie took his crisis management skills into overdrive. He skillfully got in front of the story, and was able to effectively shape the message. There was no time for speculation, and he gave interviews to explain his side of the story.
While I certainly don’t condone the behavior, I respect Lajoie for taking responsibility for his actions. The fact is, none of us are perfect – we all do stupid things sometimes. I think we all can empathize with how difficult it is to admit our mistakes. And I’d be willing to bet none of us has had to admit a mistake on such a public stage.
In an industry where we so often see people try to pass the buck or make excuses when they do something stupid, I think this was a remarkable, and refreshing event.
In stark contrast, for example, earlier this week Front Row Motorsports, during their penalty appeal, argued that ‘rogue elements of the team’ developed the bleeder valves. Rogue elements? I didn’t know a crew chief could be a rogue element. Shockingly, the commission didn’t buy the story. I digress.
I know there are some out there who don’t buy Lajoie’s story. And that’s fine. I even found a story today that made some pretty serious, but of course unsubstantiated innuendos about the event (sorry I’m not linking to it). I think the person who wrote that though, and all those concerned with the back story, are completely missing the point. It doesn’t really matter what led up to the bad decision. What matters is what happened after Lajoie got caught.
Before I go, let us recap the lessons of this suspension. First, if you know there is a chance you’ll be taking a random drug test at some point in the not too distant future, don’t use controlled substances. Second, if you have a crisis like this, make sure you tell your story before someone else does. And finally, no matter what anyone else does, honesty is always the best policy.
TheNASCARInsiders.com
Follow the Insiders on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook!
