MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Another NASCAR driver is in trouble for getting buzzed before getting behind the wheel.
A.J. Allmendinger admits he was drinking before he was arrested early Thursday morning.
Two big names in NASCAR have now had run-ins with police over the last 10 days. Both of those run-ins happened right off Highway 150 in Mooresville. This really has people talking because in the latest case, despite his arrest for DWI, NASCAR is keeping the driver on the track.
Allmendinger takes a lot of risks behind the wheel for his job, even crashing into the wall in a race last October. But Allmendinger admits the risk he took Thursday morning was unnecessary.
The driver says he had a couple of drinks with dinner and then got behind the wheel. In a written statement he said, "I honestly felt fine, but I obviously should have erred more on the side of caution, particularly given what I do for a living… it was a bad judgment call and I apologize for that."
“It's just unfortunate,” said NASCAR fan Dennis Rhoe.
Rhoe says he's followed the drivers who've made the headlines. Jeremy Mayfield is accused of using meth. Just last week, team owner Michael Waltrip crashed his car into a motorcycle. The police report says Waltrip blew a .06 during a breathalyzer, below the legal limit of .08, but investigators tell us alcohol was a factor in the accident.
Some fans are forgiving, but others are angry with NASCAR. Despite his DWI arrest, Allmendinger will still be allowed to race. Internet message boards and Twitter are now full of posts like this one: “If NASCAR isn't going to sit him, his team sure as hell should.”
If you haven't heard of Allmendinger, you've probably heard of his boss. Team owner Richard Petty issued his own statement saying he's deeply disappointed with his driver. But Petty, who has shunned alcohol companies as sponsors for his race cars, is not taking his driver off the race track. Allmendinger has a court date in December.
