LONDON — NASCAR indefinitely suspended driver A.J. Allmendinger Tuesday after confirming he violated its substance-abuse policy, putting his career and future with Penske Racing in jeopardy. The suspension came after a test of his backup urine sample confirmed the original positive result. Allmendinger originally was suspended July 7 after failing a random drug test taken in late June. His backup “B” urine sample was tested Tuesday by Aegis Analytical Laboratories in Nashville, Tenn. NASCAR officials announced the result and subsequent suspension Tuesday. “While not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination, we feel like we have one of the best drug testing programs in sports,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said. Allmendinger on Twitter thanked fans for their support. “I'm sorry we even have to have this going on. But I promise I will do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this and get back out there no matter what,” he tweeted. Officials did not announce what substance Allmendinger tested positive for. Allmendinger previously said he tested positive for a stimulant, but did not give specifics. He has denied knowingly taking a banned substance. “This was not the news we wanted to hear and we will work to get to the source of what may have caused this,” said Tara Ragan, Allmendinger's business manager, in a statement. “To that end, we have secured the services of an independent lab to conduct thorough testing on every product within AJ's home and motor coach to find what might collaborate with his test, which created results that were within nanograms of accepted standards. We are working closely with NASCAR and Penske Racing to identify the next action steps in this process.” — AP
