Last weekend, we saw A. J. Allmendinger win at Road America, and capture his first NASCAR win. Many know Allmendinger's story of how he got to this point. Allmendinger started out as a CART driver winning five races in 2006, and then was hired by the upstart Red Bull race team in 2007 to be Brian Vickers teammate. Allmendinger struggled through the two seasons and was released from Team Red Bull after Kansas in 2008, just as he was starting to get used to Sprint Cup racing, and had just earned is highest Sprint Cup finish at that point. Richard Petty Motorsports then hired Allmendinger to drive the No. 44 car, which he drove in 2009, and then he was moved to the No 43 car for the 2010 and 2011 season. Allmendinger was then chosen to replace Kurt Busch at Penske racing after Penske and Busch 'mutually separated' after the 2011 Ford 400.
Allmendinger was having a rough season adjusting in 2012, and after the race in Kentucky, he was chosen randomly to go for a drug test by NASCAR. The test came back positive for Adderall, and Allmendinger was suspended by NASCAR. Allmendinger admitted he made a mistake, went through NASCAR's Road to Recovery and was re-instated on September 18th. Prospects looked slim for Allmendinger; however Roger Penske never gave up on him. Penske offered Allmendinger a part-time IndyCar ride, and a couple of Nationwide races in the No. 22 car. Also James Finch offered Allmendinger a Sprint Cup ride in his No. 51 car, where he did a good job with the underfunded team. Allmendinger has done such a good job, that JTG racing has signed him for five races to 'evaluate' their car that 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte was driving, causing Labonte's consecutive start streak to end at 704 races. Allmendinger is not the first and will not be the last driver to be given a second chance in NASCAR. Let's take a look at what others have done with their second chances given to them by NASCAR.
The first driver I want to look at is Shane Hmeil. Shane is the son of veteran crew chief Steve Hmeil. Shane was moving up the ladder of NASCAR, and was on the track to the Sprint Cup Series back in 2003. This all changed in the fall of 2003, when he was suspended by NASCAR for testing positive for marijuana. Hmeil went through the Road to Recovery instituted by NASCAR, and by the start of the 2004 season, he was cleared to race again. Hmeil raced for Billy Ballew in the truck series in 2004, and won the race in Las Vegas, and it looked like his comeback from the drug suspension was complete. Shane Hmeil then was given a ride with Braun Racing in the Busch series. Hmeil was tested before the race in Dover in 2005, and the test came back positive for marijuana and cocaine. He was then suspended again, and started to work on his next comeback, but in January 2006, was tested again, and failed the drug test a third time. In NASCAR, if someone fails a drug test three times, they are banned for life, so Shane Hmeil was banned for life. Hmeil finally learned he was using drugs to medicate his ADHD issue. After Hmeil sobered up and stayed clean, he went back racing in the USAC Silver Crown Series, the USAC National Sprint Car Series, and the USAC National Midget Series. Hmeil had started to show that he could stay clean, and was working on working his way up the ladder to IndyCar racing, but was paralyzed in a crash in 2010 at Terra Haute speedway. Hmeil is still fighting, but the fight is now to be able to walk, instead of racing.
Kevin Grubb. Grubb started out diving for his own team, and showed promise. He showed enough promise for Brewco Motorsports to offer him a ride, which he accepted and raced for through 2001. He then raced for Team Bristol Motorsports and Carroll Motorsports in 2002, and 2003, and was supposed to drive for Rensi Motorsports in 2004, but he was suspended for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy. He went through the Road to Recovery and was re-instated in June 2006. Grubb was racing at Richmond in September 2006, and after he wrecked out of the race, Grubb was asked by NASCAR to take a drug test. He refused that night, and was suspended again. Later he was found to have a concussion, and had no memory of the refusal, but NASCAR stuck to their original determination. Grubb then took his own life a couple of years later on May 6th 2009, in a hotel near Richmond speedway.
There have been other drivers that have been suspended by NASCAR. Jeremy Mayfield and Aaron Fike are two who come to mind in recent years. Mayfield was suspended in the summer of 2009 for methamphetamine use, and he sued NASCAR to be re-instated. The judge re-instated Mayfield, but a couple of weeks later Mayfield was suspended again for testing positive. Mayfield is currently facing other charges from theft to meth possession at this time. Mayfield has yet to admit to using drugs, so currently he is still suspended by NASCAR. Aaron Fike was suspended after he was arrested outside of Cincinnati for possession of cocaine with his then girlfriend. Fike later admitted to being 'high' on the track, along with his suspension not being his low point. Fike hit that low point months later and last summer was re-instated by NASCAR after completing the Road to Recovery, however Fike has not raced since being re-instated.
Hopefully Allmendinger will stay on the right course and continue to keep clean, and does not blow his second chance at NASCAR racing. I hope that he has a good support team, and that his issue last summer was just a one-time mistake.
Agree? Disagree? Please share your comments below.
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