LOUDON, N.H. — Amid AJ Allmendinger’s positive drug test and subsequent removal from last weekend's Sprint Cup Series race in Daytona, Fla., Carl Edwards took things one step further Friday. He proposed the creation of a driver-funded alternative testing facility, which would operate simultaneously with NASCAR’s existing testers to remove any doubt in a positive result.
“If a driver had someone that they could go to and say, ‘Hey look, this is my representative, they tested at the same time on the same day and we have this result,’ ” Edwards said after practice for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “But I think until we do that, no matter what is found to be positive, no matter what the test results are, there is always going to be that little question of, maybe there was a mistake.”
But Brad Keselowski, who will line up Sunday alongside Edwards and is no stranger to conflict with Edwards, offered the strongest rebuke of the proposition, and took an even harder stance against supplement use.
“I’m certainly not supportive of Carl’s idea, I don’t think there’s a place for things like that, I don’t think we need more politics involved in this sport, and that’s what groups like that bring in,” Keselowski said. “It’s my personal belief that nothing should be allowed. I don't feel like you should be able to take Flintstone pills. You’re racecar drivers. You should have to overcome [any injuries].
“I don’t think we need any committees or anything like that. I feel you shouldn’t be allowed to take anything. Just man up and drive the damn racecar.”
Allmendinger, who claimed he did not “knowingly” ingest a banned substance, tested positive for an unidentified stimulant hours before the Coke Zero 400, and was replaced by Penske Racing with Sam Hornish Jr. Allmendinger’s B sample is awaiting further testing by Nashville’s Aegis Science Corporation to support the positive A sample. Hornish will race again for Penske this weekend; he finished 24th in qualifying.
Thrice the work
After crashing in Daytona, Jimmie Johnson willingly put more strain on his body.
Alongside Kasey Kahne and Hendricks Motorsports crewmen, Johnson competed in the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series, just hours after placing 36th in the Coke Zero 400. Johnson finished 1:15:57 in his first sprint triathlon, good enough for 46th overall and seventh in his age group. Kahne beat Johnson by 27 seconds.
“When I finished, it felt really good, and I was glad I did it,” Kahne said.
Johnson, 37, missed his personal goal by a couple minutes after struggling on the run. He got a calf cramp and, while stretching it, was approached by a spectator offering a refreshment.
“A guy in a No. 24 [Jeff Gordon] hat came running up with a Bud Light, and said, ‘Hey, this will help, this will help,’ ” Johnson said. “Not yet man, I’ve got 3 miles and I’ll be back and then I’ll take you up on that.”
Silk wins Modified pole
Ron Silk won the pole for the Modified Town Fair Tire 100, besting Ryan Preece by 0.350 seconds. Ryan Newman, who qualified sixth for the Lenox 301, finished fifth . . . Currently ninth in the Nationwide Series, Danica Patrick crashed last week at Daytona, her steering column shooting upward after the wreck, which left her with a bruised arm. Patrick is searching for progress at Loudon, where she has made just one start, finishing 30th in 2010. “Everything I’m finding improvement in,” Patrick said. “It’s just a matter of putting a weekend together and then catching some luck, getting some results that I feel like we deserve as a team” . . . Ricky Stenhouse, Elliott Sadler, Austin Dillon, and Michael Annett are all competing for $100,000 this weekend as part of the Nationwide “Dash 4 Cash” program, which kicks off at NHMS and lasts through races in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Iowa. The highest finisher will win the money . . . Tony Stewart won the ESPY Award for “Best Driver” Wednesday night. “I’m really proud of that,” said the reigning Sprint Cup champion.