NASCAR, team note driver's alcohol citation in Vegas
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
LAS VEGAS – NASCAR Nationwide series driver John Wes Townley was cited over the weekend for underage possession of alcohol while in Las Vegas.
His team owner, Richard Childress, said in a statement late Saturday the matter would be handled internally.
How NASCAR will handle it – if at all – remains a mystery.
Late Saturday, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston offered a statement:
"NASCAR is aware of the situation. We have met with the driver and addressed the matter with him directly."
No other details were provided.
Townley, who turns 21 – legal drinking age – on Dec. 31, was cited on Thursday by law enforcement authorities in Nevada. The Nationwide Series began on-track activities at 11 a.m. Friday local time.
“John Wes is very aware that he made a serious error in judgment. Drivers are human and make mistakes like everyone else,” Childress said.
"However, we do not condone his behavior and will be handling it as an internal matter at RCR.”
Townley, who is in his first season driving the No. 21 Chevrolet for RCR, was allowed to participate in two practice sessions on Friday and to qualify the car and race in Saturday’s Sam's Town 300. He finished 15th.
NASCAR officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Saturday.
Under NASCAR’s substance-abuse policy, which is printed for the first time in its series’ rulebooks this year, a competitor is prohibited from consuming alcohol 12 hours prior to or during on-track activity.
A driver is considered unfit if the blood-alcohol level is above 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters (0.02 percent) under the policy – much less than what is considered impaired under most states’ laws.
NASCAR has declined to acknowledge whether Townley underwent any drug testing prior to his first appearance on the track this weekend, or whether officials were even told of Townley’s citation.
The record of Townley’s citation – which would likely indicate the time it was issued – was not available Saturday.
Townley, a native of Watkinsville, Ga., has not finished in the top 10 in more than 30 starts in the Nationwide Series or in any of his appearances in the lower-level Truck series.
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