What happened: Spencer Gallagher, who just won his first career Xfinity Series race on Saturday at Talladega and is the son of GMS Racing owner Maurice Gallagher, tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. The test result was received by NASCAR on Tuesday, although NASCAR did not say whether the test was taken before or after the Talladega race. Gallagher will go through NASCAR’s “Road to Recovery” program in order to race again. In a statement, Gallagher called his failed test a “one-time error in judgment” and said he had “not upheld the behavior that is expected of me.”
What it means: A deeply disappointing situation for all involved. Gallagher is one of NASCAR’s most entertaining personalities and just experienced the highlight of his career — putting himself into the Xfinity playoffs as a result. It was a great storyline, and Gallagher would have been fun to watch in the playoffs. But that’s all gone now. NASCAR officials indicated they will not give Gallagher a waiver for the races he will miss, meaning he will not be playoff-eligible even if he wins again. That’s a major setback to both his young career and the race team owned by his father, who is also CEO of Allegiant Airlines (which happens to be an official NASCAR sponsor). It’s unclear how long Gallagher’s time in the NASCAR rehabilitation program will take, but AJ Allmendinger was suspended for eight races after he went through a similar process in 2012.
News value (scale of 1-10): Eight. Pretty notable, especially since Gallagher just won and there’s the possibility he could have taken the banned substance before racing (NASCAR isn’t saying either way). This news might be a 10 if Gallagher was a Cup driver in a similar situation, because it would make headlines well beyond NASCAR.
Three questions: What was the substance, and did taking it put any of Gallagher’s competitors in harm’s way? Though almost all NASCAR drug tests are conducted at the track, is there a chance this one was done after the victory celebration (when Gallagher said he would “party like it’s 1999”)? Finally, what was Gallagher thinking?
That’s too bad, biggest day of his life was winning Saturday at Dega and today likely the lowest. Hope he gets back in that thing soon. I understand a racing driver should be 100% drug free but it would be nice to know what it was. A joint? Cocaine? A story like this so soon after a win probably means someone saw him doing something Saturday night and ratted him out.
I’ll reply to my own comment lol, just checked his twitter and he was partying in the infield after his win. Probably explains it.
I don’t think “partying in the infield” after winning is a reason to disqualify somebody — and I don’t think that’s where this result came from. Good lord, can we get Clint Bowyer’s blood alcohol level after Martinsville? I like to think NASCAR is conducting a responsible testing regimen here. Let’s be realistic. NASCAR knows what a punch in the face this is for Spencer and their team — and for the sport in general. Hell, this makes headlines that reflect poorly on NASCAR just as much as they reflect poorly on Spencer and his team. Bottom line: Every time I think NASCAR is being a stickler, I just remember that they’ve got 40 guys out there driving 200mph within inches of each other. They have an obligation to police the sport — and if I were a driver on Saturday or Sunday, I would hope they were keeping a damn close eye on things. Several Cup guys talked about the trust among them on the track at Talladega. I think passing a little piss test is a small price to pay for living that life and having a chance to fulfill your dreams. Allmendinger is proof that somebody can come back and find success after having a run-in with this protocol.
I don’t think “partying in the infield” after winning is a reason to disqualify somebody — and I don’t think that’s where this result came from. Good lord, can we get Clint Bowyer’s blood alcohol level after Martinsville? I like to think NASCAR is conducting a responsible testing regimen here. Let’s be realistic. NASCAR knows what a punch in the face this is for Spencer and their team — and for the sport in general. Hell, this makes headlines that reflect poorly on NASCAR just as much as they reflect poorly on Spencer and his team. Bottom line: Every time I think NASCAR is being a stickler, I just remember that they’ve got 40 guys out there driving 200mph within inches of each other. They have an obligation to police the sport — and if I were a driver on Saturday or Sunday, I would hope they were keeping a damn close eye on things. Several Cup guys talked about the trust among them on the track at Talladega last week. I think passing a little piss test is a small price to pay for living that life and having a chance to fulfill your dreams. Allmendinger is proof that somebody can come back and find success after having a run-in with this protocol.