NASCAR and Richard Petty Motorsports look a little more spineless today.NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver A.J. Allmendinger was arrested for DWI early Thursday morning in Mooresville, N.C., after being pulled over and blowing a .08 on a Breathalyzer test -- the legal limit for intoxication in the state. Cited for a misdemeanor, Allmendinger will appear in court on the charge in December.
Allmendinger, though, won't be facing any music from his RPM team or NASCAR -- the same organization that will suspend crew members for racing with an illegal part.
More Coverage: Allmendinger Breath Tested Before Practice
It should be noted that, yes, NASCAR did acknowledge that Allmendinger did something wrong by placing him on probation for the remainder of the calendar year. Consider the move a whole lot less than a slap on the wrist if Allmendinger manages to avoid doing anything particularly stupid in the next two months.
But, further, consider this: within the two sentences NASCAR released Thursday about Allmendinger's punishment, it only mentioned that he broke the catch-all rule in NASCAR's rule book -- rule 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing). Not once is it mentioned that he was punished for the DWI.
It's almost like the broom and rug are fully ready for covering purposes.
The story at Richard Petty Motorsports isn't any better.
The team said Thursday that Allmendinger will participate in all racing, media and sponsor-related activities this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Team co-owner and namesake Richard Petty acknowledged in a statement that he's "disappointed" in Allmendinger but that "A.J. has taken full responsibility for his actions and will work to make this right."
Up until this season, Petty has long had a stand against alcohol companies being involved with his racing endeavors. His stand was such that he wouldn't participate in beer-sponsored pole awards or a second-tier NASCAR series formerly sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.
A merger this season, though, with George Gillette's operation brought Kasey Kahne's No. 9 Budweiser-sponsored team into the Petty fold -- and Petty enjoyed a public drink of wine in victory lane following Kahne's June win at Infineon Raceway located inside the heart of California's wine country.
That all, of course, is neither here nor there when it comes to Allmendinger's situation, but it is interesting to see the reaction -- or, lack thereof -- from a team and an owner that used to take such an anti-alcohol stand.
Don't get me wrong -- this isn't a piece dedicated to bad-mouthing those who earn drunk driving offenses or one defending them either. They are an extremely serious matter but can, at times, happen to unsuspecting people. For all we know, Allmendinger may try to beat the charge based on his blood-alcohol level being so close to the legal range. We'll find that out in December.
But Allmendinger is a NASCAR driver doing things on a race track that at their primal level mimic what happens on the roadways of America. And unfortunately for NASCAR drivers, there's no apples-to-apples discipline comparison between them and the stick-and-ball athletes of the NBA, NFL or MLB. That's the nature of the beast when what you get paid to do is drive a race car instead of catch a football for a living.
Because of that, somebody, anybody, needed to come down on Allmendinger with a little more force. Allmendinger needed to be suspended from Sunday's race at Talladega.
No, Allmendinger isn't a bad guy and yes, he's acknowledged the mistake he made. A DWI, though, is a mistake someone can only make so many times before it drastically affects the life of someone else. For all we know, Allmendinger was lucky that didn't happen in the wee hours of Thursday morning in North Carolina.
NASCAR sent a message this season by (rightfully or wrongfully) suspending Jeremy Mayfield for his alleged drug abuse, and they should have sent a message again on Thursday saying that driving offenses -- especially alcohol-related ones -- are absolutely not tolerable.
Instead, we're left with what boils down to be an ugly comparison of punishments.
A crew chief pushes the car measurements too far and ends up with a big fine and six-race suspension. A driver drinks a little too much at the dinner table and gets arrested for DWI? "Don't do it again, son."
Something, my friends, doesn't add up there.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
10-30-2009 @ 12:42AM
JEAN said...
Nascar didn't suspend or fine Michael Waltrip. What is the difference? He was drunk.
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10-30-2009 @ 6:13AM
bill8barb20 said...
mikey waltrip pulled a 0.6, an was charged with a accident, aj pulled a 0.8, but look at the size difference of the two drivers, an 2 years ago milkey ran from the law he wasn't suspended, what about scott wimmer, when he was charged, so do not make an example of aj, he was the only to take responsibility, the other denied, any.
10-30-2009 @ 10:38AM
tracyaet said...
Being that A.J.had such a low breathalizer reading
he should be given the benefit of the doubt.It could happen to anyone who might imbibe a couple
of glasses of wine at dinner.The ones critizing
him most probably were in his position more than
once but had the good fortune of not being caught.
The old adage"People who live in glass houses should't throw stones!"
10-30-2009 @ 12:07PM
Ron said...
It's who you are in NASCAR. AJ is at the bottom of the barrel so they can slap probation on him. Mikey had time to run home and sober up leaving his Lexus behind. Remember when Kyler Busch got popped for a DUI?
If you run NASCAR you get get away with more. Brian France got pulled over and they found drugs in his car yet was released by the officer who pulled him over.
10-30-2009 @ 1:55AM
NZCR14 says said...
AJ ALMOND DIGER OR I'M A DINGER, WAS NOT DRINKING
BEFORE THE RACE, WHILE RACING OR ON NAZCAR PROPERTY; He very likely was getting back home from an overnight party. What the hell has nazcar to do with this?HOW IS ANY NAZCAR BUSINESS WHAT DRIVERS DO IN THEIR PRIVATE LIFE? What he should done if alcohol inmtoxicated he should hitched a ride or have somebody to drive him home even if had to be a cab.
And i know many of you are going to throw in the JEREMYA METHFIELD STORY AS A COMPARISON as jeffery is doing (so it seems).
METHFIELD WAS HIBEFORE THE RACING AND VERY LIKELY WHILE RACING and he had to do METHS ON nazcar property too cause most of the GARAGE CREWS KNEW IT.So any methfield comparison is BOGUS and shall NOT STAND.
works for me...
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10-30-2009 @ 7:57PM
bluerange308 said...
Will you ever learn to talk right? Christ, you type like your hand has a big gob of chewing tabacco in it.
10-30-2009 @ 4:19AM
gerdani8 said...
From what I remember, Petty's cars didn't run in the Busch Clash or the Busch series out of respect for his Mother. She didn't drink, or hold with drinking alcoholic beverages. Also, while his Mom was still living, none of the Petty cars carried a sponsor whose business was beer, wine or whiskey. As far as Allmendinger, .08 from some drinks with dinner, is a lot different from someone with a .28 that's been drinking all night. Fine him, put him on probation, have him make a public apology... And let him race.
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10-30-2009 @ 6:25AM
bert,matt,zack said...
sorry drunk is drunk, no matter how you slice it i have lost all respect for petty. they are just a sad shell of a once great team. not supending him shows they have no back bone and thats why they cant win anymore? nascar is a joke, why make all these rules and not enforce them. people are killed by drunk drivers every minute. nascar needs to show some respect to the real world that pays their bills?
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10-30-2009 @ 8:59AM
Royce said...
he should ask brian france how to handle it...you remeber he got stopped a couple of years ago in daytona...and you never heard anymore about it. i bet the cop that stopped him is head of security at the speedway now.
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10-30-2009 @ 8:59AM
dongo4345 said...
people make mistakes,hes only human give him a break.he said he was sorry and go on from there .he had a couple beers so what
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10-30-2009 @ 9:09AM
HILLCREST said...
A low-grade fine ($5,000.00) and a few race probation will be fine for AJ. It is not like he was engaging in serious misconduct like Michael Waltrip did a few years back when he fled the scene of his own accident.
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10-30-2009 @ 9:31AM
rmrmsix said...
All this talk about suspending him. Where was this talk when Kyle Bush was busted for DUI in LasVegas. NASCAR has become a total hipricrate about anything. Break rule, if you are a super team thats ok, they get overlooked or the fine is acceptable. If NASCAR wants to have rules that mean somthing then make them. Break the rules and you are GINE for lets say 20 races or $100K fines, lets say 250 pts. That will make sure that DUI's and rules are not broken then!
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10-30-2009 @ 10:20AM
wtav said...
It wasn't Kyle Bush, it was Kurt Bush in Vegas.
10-30-2009 @ 9:38AM
GrumpyOldMan said...
For gosh sakes, he's already racing this year without a salary or any race winnings....give him a break.
I bet half of you are drunk right now at your desks at work.
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10-30-2009 @ 10:44AM
illsell4u said...
Thats an excellent point that should have been mentioned in the article. I had read the statements he made yesterday and was pleased with what he had to say and the way he accepted his responsibilty.
Most people do not realize how few drinks it takes to blow a .08 on the breathalyzer. It was not a Nascar event and was not within the 24 hour period of a race or practice. I would not have a problem if Nascar actually had a policy in place and they handed down their punishment but at this point in time there is none other than the mysterious 12-1, actions detrimental to Nascar. Comparing this offense to what Jeremy Mayfield is accused of is not apples to apples. Nascar has in place an anti drug rule, not an anti alcohol rule.
mbl
10-30-2009 @ 10:58AM
Sherri Knott said...
It amazes me that so many well to do people drink and drive without knowing their own BAC level. You wouldn't drive without a speedometer, why drive without a quality breathalyzer in the car. If you must drink and drive then a least check yourself and either wait until you're safely under the limit or take a taxi. If you drink and drive at or over the limit you're crazy.
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10-30-2009 @ 11:37AM
jlewcrew said...
I don't care what the law or anybody says a person is not drunk blowing a BAC at .08. I am not for impaired driving however these days you cannot have a few drinks at dinner without the fear of getting pulled over. The cops are doing their jobs so it is not their fault. Blame your government and the greedy lawyers for all this is nothing but a money making scheme for these scumbags. These people don't give a damn about safety only lining their pockets.
You know what is just as dangerous as drunk driving? How about the idiots texting while driving. Why isn't our safety conscious government doing anything about that.
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10-30-2009 @ 11:44AM
Don Emerson said...
Give the guy a break, and let's move on. I have never understood why we hold our sports figures to such high and unrealistic expectations of good conduct. They are human just as we are, and make mistakes every day. How many fans could hold up under such scrutiny as they go about their daily lives. It's like they say in that farce the bible, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Works for me....
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10-30-2009 @ 12:49PM
obamaizadope said...
I agree, cut him some slack. He seems like a good kid, and it was just an .08 for chrissakes, it's not like he blew a Cal Ripken Sr. number..
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10-30-2009 @ 1:07PM
Sam said...
Just a question:
What are the accuracy and margin of error on these breathalizer machines, especially the field units?
If the limit is 0.08% and his test showed a 0.08%, could his BAC have been a 0.0799% or a 0.0801%? In reality, it matters little, but it is a legal issue.
BTW, for all the reporters who so frequently report a ".08" as the limit, not only are their significant figures in error, but it is sloppy to not include the units of measurement.
No accurate number begins with a decimal point, and what are the units? Pounds per gallon?
I don't know much about breathalizers, but have been in the environmental field for 40 years. I have much experience with measuring devices such as pH and conductivity meters, dissolved oxygen probes, atomic absorption spectrophotometers, X-Ray diffration detectors, atomic emmission spectrophotometers, etc.
They all have operational specifications for their accuracy and repeatability that can change with time and maintenance of the equipment.
I'm not a proponent of drunk drivers by any means, but if I were A.J.'s attorney, I'd start the defence with these equipment limitations and supplement them with any situational evidence that may be available.
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