NASCAR reported last night that Team Penske driver AJ
Allmendinger has requested that his “B sample” is tested in an effort to end
the suspension handed down on Saturday when it was announced that his random
drug test had come back positive.
NASCAR random drug tests are performed in a two-sample
method where the driver’s urine is split into two portions prior to
testing.This way, when a test comes
back positive, the driver can insist that there must have been a false positive
during the first test (the A sample) and ask that the second half of the sample
(the B sample) be tested.NASCAR allows
for a 72 hour period after a positive drug test announcement to request testing
of the B sample.There is a chance that
the A sample could have been mishandled or the test had not been performed
correctly, which could lead to a false positive test.
Should AJ Allmendinger’s B sample come back positive, the
young driver will likely face an indefinite suspension which could very easily
turn into a lifetime ban.The three
other drivers who have failed NASCAR random drug tests, including former Dodge
driver Jeremy Mayfield, remained banned from the sport so news of a positive
drug test could bring AJ Allmendinger’s NASCAR career to a very quick end.Should Allmendinger be suspended, the NASCAR
management is likely to announce what drug or drugs were found in his system
during the random drug test.
Regardless of the outcome of AJ Allmendinger’s B sample
test, Sam Hornish Jr will pilot the NASCAR Sprint Cup this coming weekend at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway.Hornish drove
the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in Daytona last week with very short
notice after Allmendinger’s suspension was handed down – finishing 33rd
after blowing a tire and damaging the car. Hornish is also a regular Team Penske driver, being one of the top dogs
in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in his #12 Dodge Challenger.
Hopefully the lab did mishandle AJ Allmendinger’s A sample
and a negative B sample would put an end to all of this.AJ was reportedly “shocked” at the positive
drug test so I am inclined to give the guy the benefit of the doubt but in the
modern age of sports – athlete falling into drug use has become all too common.
"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.
