One Pill that is Hard to Swallow
Posted by dmicAug 8
(RaceTalkRadio.com; August 8,2012)
OK race fans after seeing and hearing AJ Allmendinger’s explanation that his positive test was due to taking one random pill what do you think?
In case you have been too engrossed with the latest Synchronized Skeet Shooting competition at the Olympics to hear what is going on let me explain what happened in the last twenty-four hours. After being silent except for a few tweets and saying his hair gel and other items in his house were being tested; AJ Allmendinger finally came forward and confessed his sins to the world. While out on the town before the big Cup race at Kentucky Speedway Allmendinger was feeling run down and took a random pill from a friend of a friend. This unnamed person (Naming him or her would put that person in some trouble with the law) gave Allmendinger a pill that he said was a nutritional supplement that would give Allmendinger a boost of energy. A few days later NASCAR randomly called Allmendinger in for a drug test which he failed.
AJ Allmendinger is the unluckiest man in the world!
Can we find Miss Cleo and have her channel the spirit of Jimmy the Greek to come up with the odds of someone testing positive the very first time they took an illegal substance during their NASCAR career? Even if Allmendinger is telling the truth, the lack of judgment it takes for a grown man who knows he is being drug tested to take a random pill without knowing what that pill might contain is staggering. Allmendinger got suspended on July 7th and was quiet for a month. Was that the best story that he could conjure up in a month? Did the reason he got fired so quickly at Penske Racing because he told that story to the Captain and Roger Penske didn’t buy it? Allmendinger says that he is totally naïve when it comes to drugs and he didn’t even know what Adderall was until now. Was he not paying attention during the entire Jeremy Mayfield circus?
Let Science Prove It
Thankfully there is an easy solution to quell the doubts of the doubters. Science is a very handy tool when it comes to drug testing. If we could find out what dosage the pill was and we could find out the level Aegis Labs considers a positive test we could see if Allmendinger’s story is plausible. But NASCAR isn’t letting anyone know the definition of a positive test when it comes to amphetamine concentration. Allmendinger isn’t letting anyone know the dosage of pill he took. If those variables were shared with a knowledgeable scientist the amount of amphetamine likely to be in someone’s system two days after taking one tablet of Adderall could be calculated. Only one person knows for sure whether AJ Allmendinger’s story is true or a big white lie of a pill. That person is AJ Allmendinger but I find that story to be one pill that is hard to swallow.
That wouldn’t really prove anything except that he had not taken a pill in at least 2 days. It would not prove it was the first time he ever took one. It would not prove whether he knew what it was when he took it.
What’s the point?
Right on!! For weeks AJ team went on this mythical search for contaminated “stuff.” Like you said, they checked truck, kitchen, bathroom. I mean the first thnig (if really looking) would be to work backwards and list everything he had eaten or drunk. Aegis Dr. Black stated that the banned substance would not be found in energy supplements from AJ.
How is it that if AJ did not “think” about the pill he had taken 2 days prior, his friends didn’t say ” Hey let’s ask Buddy what kind of pill he gave you.” None can be accused of being Mensa members.
Aegis Labs report to NASCAR that AJ tested positive for a banned substance. That’s it!! HIPPA prohibits the lab from giving details. However, AJ was informed of the exact banned substance.
Knowing all this, AJ allowed his supporters and NASCAR-haters, to blame NASCAR and the lab for his suspension. Though AJ never said the tests were wrong, he allowed others to do so. AJ has no loyalty to the organization that allowed him to earn millions of dollars. What top-tier organization wants to have a disloyal driver?
I wish people would stop with “he’s so young.” Good grief, he is almost 31. Look at all the good drivers who are way younger than him and don’t mess up. He also said he’d been in the dumps for months. (Good reason to take a happy pill) I see the ages of the military members listed every week. Most seem to be 21-27. None of them have gotten a chance to drive 36 weeks and earn a few million dollars.
I meant to say military members that have died in the line of duty.