“Dinger” Busted for DUI and Placed on Probation by NASCAR
NASCAR placed driver AJ Allmendinger on probation Thursday following his arrest early in the morning on a charge of drunken driving.
Mooresville police said Allmendinger failed a field sobriety test after he was pulled over.
Late Thursday afternoon, he was placed on probation until the end of the year for actions detrimental to stock car racing.
Allmendinger, who drives the No. 44 for Richard Petty Motorsports, said in a statement he had drinks with dinner on Wednesday and made a mistake by driving afterward.
“I honestly felt fine, but I obviously should have erred more on the side of caution, particularly given what I do for a living,” Allmendinger said. “It was a bad judgment call and I apologize for that.”
Allmendinger registered 0.08 on the breath test, the police report said. Under North Carolina law, that means his license will be automatically suspended for 30 days.
Ok that’s the news, that prerequisite is out of the way, but that’s not the reason I bothered to post this.
The raging “wild-fire” that erupted on Twitter over the story is.
First I have to say what he did was wrong, everyone, except a few raging alcoholics, would agree with that.
That said, of about ten “tweets” I saw on the subject 7 of them opined A.J. should receive a one race suspension by either NASCAR or his team owner Richard Petty Motorsports.
One suggested rather forcefully NASCAR should pull his competition license for the remainder of the season. To which I say, hell demand his first born male child also.
I can understand some thinking a one race ban is appropriate, I wouldn’t do it if I were king, but I understand.
But suspend him for the rest of the year?
That’s crazy, chill out hell out folks!
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God! What next…off with his head?
Sure he was stupid “…particularly given what I do for a living,”, I say bench him for a race & put him on notice. A second offence should carry a stiffer penalty.
Probation works for me as a sufficient penalty, especially because he has stood up and accepted responsibility for the whole thing. He could have taken a Mayfield shuck and jive approach and blamed everyone but himself.
Let it go, unless it happens again.
Hmmm, let me think Peter,,, NASCAR has never suspended a driver for this type of offense and secondly the sport “sports” numerous sponsors tightly connected to the sale of alcoholic products. Not that that should matter, I’m just saying.