AJ Allmendinger suspended

Bob Ogden · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:06 pm Post subject:

While I really would like to have seen the "B" come back clean it's really difficult to feel bad for any driver, karter or not, Northern Californian or not, even my next door neighbor who fails both samples.

AJ and others may say it was an accident, it was a supplement, it was a sports drink, whatever. The fact is he has to follow the same rule book as the other 150 or however many in the top echelons of his chosen profession who have not failed a test, and he did fail.

Hopefully AJ will be allowed to go through NASCAR's rehab program and get back into a top tier car soon.

Rick Crist · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:55 pm Post subject:

Owner to meet AJ Allmendinger - http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8211408/roger-penske-aj-allmendinger-discuss-driver-future

Mike Burris · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:25 pm Post subject:

Rick, I think he's toast simply because he has been hired "on potential" and after 6 years in Cup he doesn't have any wins (or top 10's to be a contender) to show off on his resume'. On the other hand his team mate Keselowski has almost half the starts as AJ and 7 wins and 30 top 10 to brag about. I kind of thought that AJ would be one of the "Indy Car" drivers to pan out but it doesn't look like it now.

Tom Jensen · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:39 am Post subject:

Holy moly! AJ released from Penske. http://www.ajallmendinger.com/spin.php?id=1050
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Jeff DeMello · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 1:24 pm Post subject:

So did he take some drugs or was it from something he took without knowing..
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Jim Derrig · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:02 pm Post subject:

Apparently his business manager has said it was an amphetamine.

Steve Heagney · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:01 pm Post subject:

The tests both came back positive for amphetamines, and it appears that AJ is working with an independent lab to determine which supplements and/or medications may have resulted in the positive. I'm not sure what to think about the fact that he immediately began the recovery program following the results of the B sample. I am kind of thinking that he knew it would be a big mistake to take the Mayfield route and try to sue NASCAR, so he decided to get into the program as soon as possible to try to get reinstated. If his independent testing can identify a cause of the positive, NASCAR may take the information into consideration and abbreviate his program/suspension, but even if NASCAR decides not to take any potential findings into consideration it could still help clear his name with the public and perhaps more importantly sponsors. Of course, the other possibility is that he knows why the test was positive and is trying to avoid admission to the public while he deals with the problem privately. If this is the case, hopefully he takes advantage of the help he is going to get and is able to move on with his life and career.

Dean Graves · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 6:01 pm Post subject:

Apparently his business manager has said it was an amphetamine.

That narrows it down. Laughing

Mike Burris · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:36 pm Post subject:

Too bad it's not basketball. He'd have to sit out a game and go to anger management to get his gun back! Lol

Chris Hurst · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:32 pm Post subject:

Question: Amphetamine can be something like Adderall which is a prescription drug given to people with ADD / ADHD. Amphetamine encompasses a large spectrum of drugs that could have been used. If a person was given Adderall by a doctor for ADHD does that mean they can not compete in NASCAR even if the drug was given by a doctor?

Are there any details as to whether or not he was prescribed this drug or was he acquiring it illegally?

Tim Doll · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:07 am Post subject:

The way NASCAR works - if the 'B' comes back positive, the ONLY way back in is to go through their recovery program, no ifs, ands, or buts. So AJ's only real option was to commit to the recovery program if he ever wants to drive NASCAR again.

Even if the drug was doctor prescribed, it's still considered a violation - the NASCAR position is that they don't want people driving 200 mph with those things in their system (a pretty reasonable position BTW). On the other hand I couldn't pass their drug test due to prescription drugs I routinely take.

His best hope now is to identify some OTC supplement that was the source and then beg for forgiveness.

Tim
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Chris Hurst · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:53 am Post subject:

Mike Burris · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject:

Chris, who has NASCAR filtered out? Kurt an Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick an a few others have ran a foul of NASCAR policy and came out ok. Being very familiar with people in the org and what teams do to insure the integrity of the sport someone has to obviously cross the line to get called out. AJ had his opportunities and sadly failed. The obvious point here is NASCAR can survive without compromising their integrity unlike the stick an ball sports!

Mike Goebel · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:39 pm Post subject:

He could still become President of the USA!! Laughing

Mike G.
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Alex King · Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:58 pm Post subject:

Birth certificate? Thought he was born in Canada.
I would prefer to see him back in open-wheel.