July 13, 2012
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
LOUDON,
N.H. -- Tara Ragan, business manager for suspended driver AJ
Allmendinger, debunked published reports that Walldinger Racing plans to
bring an attorney to the testing of Allmendinger's "B" sample, the next
step in the procedure under NASCAR's substance abuse program.
As
set forth in NASCAR's rule book, Allmendinger may attend the "B" sample
test at Aegis Sciences Corporation in Nashville, Tenn., or send a
qualified toxicologist to represent him.
Allmendinger
was suspended Saturday before that night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona
because the "A" sample from a urine test collected June 29 at Kentucky
Speedway tested positive for what Ragan termed in a subsequent statement
"a stimulant" in an amount that was "slightly above the threshold."
Ragan's
statement also included the assertion that Allmendinger had never
knowingly taken a prohibited substance and indicated he was requesting a
test of the "B" sample, which was collected at the same time as the "A"
sample.
The
Associated Press reported Thursday that "Allmendinger wants his own
toxicologist and attorney present," citing sources familiar with the
case. Noting that the language in the NASCAR rule book restricts
attendance at the "B" sample test to the member (Allmendinger, in this
case) or a qualified toxicologist, Ragan said Friday morning that
Walldinger Racing intended to follow the rules as stated.
Ragan
said she took the passage in Section 19-11 B (2) of the rule book
literally: "The NASCAR member may be present (either personally or
represented by a qualified toxicologist not associated with Aegis)
during the second test at his/her expense . . ."
Ragan said Allmendinger has not been informed of a "B" sample test date, next week or otherwise.
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