AJ Allmendinger’s NASCAR career is in serious jeopardy after
failing a second drug test as part of the racing body’s random drug testing
policy.This started for Allmendinger
when he failed a drug test a few weeks ago but under the guidelines of NASCAR’s
two-stage drug testing procedures, a driver who fails with his “A sample” can
request that the “B sample” be tested. Unfortunately, Allmendinger’s B sample came back positive for a banned
substance – meaning that the young driver from Penske Racing is immediately
suspended from the series indefinitely.
NASCAR officials have not stated exactly what banned
substance was found in AJ Allmendinger’s positive drug tests but
representatives from the Allmendinger camp have stated that there was a very
minor amount of the banned substance in his system.These sources have also stated that the
driver has hired an independent laboratory to test all of the supplements and
such that he uses to see if one of these products is at fault for the positive
test.Needless to say, Allmendinger is
insisting that he does not use any sort of illegal drugs or banned substances
and he Tweeted that “will do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this and
get back out there no matter what”.
Even if Allmendinger is unable to prove that it was a
supplement or something along those lines that caused the positive drug test,
he does have a chance to return to racing via NASCAR’s “Road to Recovery”
program.NASCAR will soon issue an
explanation to the driver detailing exactly what his road to recovery entails –
at which point we would expect to also find out what banned substances he is
accused of using.Unfortunately, the few
NASCAR drivers in the past who failed a random drug test saw their careers come
to an abrupt end.
It appears as though NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Sam
Hornish Jr will continue to drive the #22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge Charger for
Penske Racing with Allmendinger unable to return.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
AJ Allmendinger’s NASCAR career is in serious jeopardy after