Allmendinger claims that he got pill from “friend of a friend”

AJ Allmendinger has announced that he knows what made him
fail the random drug tests that eventually caused him to be banned from NASCAR
indefinitely along with being released from Penske Racing.  According to Fox Sports, Allmendinger was out
with a friend and a group of that person’s friends after going through with a
handful of sponsor commitments when he mentioned to this friend that he hadn’t been
sleeping well.  A friend of Allmendinger’s
friend told the driver of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger that he had a pill that he took for working out that would help.

Allmendinger took that pill and reportedly gave him some
additional energy but three days later, AJ was tested under the NASCAR random
drug testing procedure.  The young driver
found out the following week before the Daytona race that he had failed the
drug test but when all he knew what that he tested positive for amphetamines;
the mystery pill that he had taken that night never crossed his mind.  However, once Allmendinger found out that
what he was accused of taking per the pair of positive drug tests – he came out
with the explanation of the guy with the unknown pills. 

Turns out that he was found to have something similar to Adderall
in his system…a drug which contains substances banned by NASCAR.  Adderall is prescribed to children and adults
to fight the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but when the
pills are taken by those who do not suffer from ADHD, this drug can act as an
upper.

While it sounds very much like an after school special where
the school’s top jock unknowingly takes a pill that ends up getting him in
trouble – only to claim that a random person gave him some random pill – you have
to question AJ Allmendinger’s thought process in taking that pill.  While AJ admits that he knows very little
about illegal drugs or illicit use of prescription drugs, every driver in the
NASCAR ranks is subject to the drug testing policy.  A handful of drivers including former Dodge
driver Jeremy Mayfield have been permanently banned from the sport for failing
drug tests in the past so it is clear that the governing body takes their drug
abuse policy very seriously. Based simply on that, you would think that a young
guy like AJ Allmendinger would realize that he has the world by the tail…living
the dream of being a profession race car driver…before taking a random pill.

That indiscretion has possibly caused AJ Allmendinger his
NASCAR career.  The driver is currently
planning to undergo the NASCAR Road to Recovery program that could help him get
reinstated but since being fired by Penske Racing, he will also have to find a
team once he is approved by NASCAR to race again.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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