Penske hopes to have AJ Allmendinger back in the No. 22 car

Team owner Roger Penske and crew chief Paul Wolfe for Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, look on during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2012 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Team owner Roger Penske and crew chief Paul Wolfe for Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, look on during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 14, 2012 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

LOUDON, N.H. — Team owner Roger Penske held out hope suspended NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger will return to the No. 22 Dodge for the July 29 Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

That will happen, however, only if the test of a “B” sample fails to confirm the positive test of the “A” urine sample Allmendinger provided June 29 at Kentucky Speedway. Allmendinger tested positive for what his business manager, Tara Ragan, characterized as a “stimulant” and was suspended from NASCAR competition before the July 7 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.

Substituting for Allmendinger, Sam Hornish Jr. drove the No. 22 to a 22nd-place finish in Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Obviously, this situation is disappointing because of the circumstances,” Penske said after Sunday’s drivers’ meeting at NHMS. “I’ve said it before. I’m more concerned about the individual than the situation, because that’ll take care of itself. There’ll be facts and figures, and there’ll be an outcome.

“I think, more importantly, if the results go (Allmendinger’s) way, meaning that he can get back in the car, he’ll be in the car at Indianapolis. If it’s not, then we’ll assess Sam’s availability.”

A test of Allmendinger’s “B” sample, which was collected at the same time as the “A” sample, had not been scheduled as of Sunday, according to Ragan.

Should Allmendinger’s “B” sample test result in an indefinite suspension from NASCAR competition, Penske has other options beyond Hornish, pending consultation with sponsor Shell/Pennzoil.

“We’ve had a lot of contacts, as you might expect,” said Penske, who also fields the No. 2 Dodge for Brad Keselowski in the Cup series, along with two NASCAR Nationwide Series cars. “It’s a great ride, great sponsor and, heck, we’ve got a great team. To me, we can’t run around with one car. We’ve got to have two, and you’d like to have three in this competitive environment that we’re in. Overall, we’re going to deal with it.”

Penske said he has been in touch with Allmendinger and hopes the issue can be resolved within the next two weeks.

“My communication with him is saying, ‘Look, we’re here, we’re anxious to get the results, we’re behind you, let’s stay that way, and we’ll deal with whatever the outcome is at the proper time,’ ” Penske said.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.