"In an effort to help our colleagues in the media report on this in a timely and accurate manner, we wanted to provide some additional details regarding AJ’s sample “A” test results.
AJ tested positive for a stimulant. He has no idea why the first test was positive, and he has never knowingly taken any prohibited substance. AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over the counter product caused his positive test.
AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing respect NASCAR's testing program, and he has requested that his "B" sample be tested as part of the process of getting to the bottom of this. We will have the opportunity to review all of the scientific data surrounding the test following the "B" sample test, but our understanding is that AJ's test was slightly above the threshold.
As of this morning, we have not been given notice of when the testing of the “B” sample will take place. Thanks again for all of the support of our fans, team, and sponsors as we continue working through the process.”
This was from Tara Ragan, the vice president of Walldinger Racing, Inc. That is the name of Allmendinger's personal business.
Allmendinger has said that he was blindsided and shell-shocked by this result. One of the constant sponsors this season for Allmendinger has been the energy power shot called "Fuel in a Bottle." This controversial product also features former wrestler Ric Flair as an endorser. The distributor is BYB Brands of Charlotte, NC.
The powershot is far above most others on the market in the combination of ingredients. Click here to see the website and read about the amount of stimulants in the product. There is no information that "Fuel in a Bottle" was the culprit in terms of the violation, but Allmendinger is reportedly careful about his overall health and fitness.
Click here for a video where Allmendinger talks about and actually takes the product. The statement released Wednesday seems to eliminate dangerous illegal drugs and alcohol from the picture. This is a positive step as Allmendinger seeks to return to NASCAR competition.
There we no more official announcements about this topic made on Wednesday. Sam Hornish continued his media tour campaigning for the #22 ride and Joey Logano replaced Allmendinger at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway fan fest, setting off a flurry of comments that he be a candidate for the #22 next season.
This entire situation is being handled quite professionally by all parties and it may ultimately serve as the model to deal with this type of violation for a driver in the future. Happy to have your opinion on this topic.
48 comments:
Thanks for the update. Wait and see I guess.
What a mess.
If Allmendinger's statements prove true, I wonder what NA$CAR's attitude will be toward all these stimulants. Since, I believe, at least one is an official race and car sponsor, I bet this "problem" goes away quickly.
It's an interesting side-effect of today's NASCAR world. In days past, some of the teams that might accept a "lesser" sponsor still got that support from companies that were generally reputable. Now we see these terrible-for-you energy drinks and supplements, highly questionable financial services, and even "male enhancement" products.
Well, this is what happens when the sanctioning body hogs up major advertisers for itself, puts a generally substandard product on the track, and doesn't give major sponsors the same bang for the buck that it used to in recent years past. You get far too many sponsors that are a joke and woe be to the driver or team owner that actually uses the product or service.
JMHO
Allmendinger is being disingenuous. Aegis Labs is able to identify the exact substance in his sample. They did not tell him it was merely "a stimulant." They told him exactly which one it was, and he is not revealing it.
Why are people so quick to blame NASCAR? They hired an outside lab - widely considered the industry leader - to do their testing for them. The lab says the driver was on a banned substance, and NASCAR suspended him. Why is this so hard to figure out?
You can drink those Ric Flair energy shots all day long and not test positive for "a stimulant." The two ingredients that give you energy in that product are Vitamin B12 and Niacin (Vitamin B3).
Aegis Labs has performed a "gas chromatography–mass spectrometry" test on AJ's sample, and there is no way any of the ingredients listed on Fuel in a Bottle would ever come up as matching one of the banned substances.
I am not particularly an Allmendinger fan, but I don't wish this problem on my worst enemy. I hope the substance is isolated, identified and NASCAR is satisfied with the conclusions drawn. I have always been disappointed in AJ's performances after moving to stock cars, as I was disappointed in other open wheel racer's performances in stock cars but AJ has talent galore and I hope and wish he can stay around to prove it.
Richmondfan,
While those are two key ingredients, could you pass along the link where you found the complete list please?
JD
I get the point of the sponsorship relationship concerns, but the vast majority of the energy drinks are mostly sugar & normal (a few cups of coffee) amounts of caffeine, plus some vitamins, so hopefully people will not overreact to that. An occasional Monster or 5 hour energy is not going to hurt anyone. This one is way over the top; I looked at the ingredients. For example--over 8000% of your daily B12 (NOS has 200%)? The caffeine is part of a blend, and it's fairly new so I couldn't find a number (it says Energy blend, Taurine, Malic Acid L-phenylalanine, Caffeine, Glucuronolactone – 1870 mg--whatever all that means.) A can of soda can have like 70mg of caffeine. And who knows what happens if you had it in combination with some other caffeinated drink. But it occurs to me...it would be interesting to see if either Jeff Hammond or Kenny Wallace makes mention of their Stacker2 days...remember, the stuff with ephedra in it? Hmmm...
And if true, what's the correct course of action...?
With all due respect, RichmondFan, as far as I know, NASCAR has never made their full list of "banned" substances public (please correct me if I'm wrong, JD). As such, unless one of us is an employee of NASCAR or one of the teams, how could any of us know whether the Fuel in a Bottle had a potential to cause a "positive" according to NASCAR's rules? Never mind that no one is saying the energy shot was the cause - just noting it as an interesting sponsorship connection, given that energy drinks do contain stimulants (caffeine being the main one), even if they are "mild".
While I respect your obvious knowledge regarding the drug testing process in use, it is impossible for any of us as observers to know all the facts at this time. All any of us can do is speculate.
It's the same stuff as in 5-Hour Energy, PowerBlitz, and the rest of the little energy shots - Vitamin B12, Niacin (B3), caffeine, water, and artificial colors.
Vitamin B12 can temporarily boost your metabolism. The Niacin (vitamin B3) in large doses can make your skin temporarily flush (which adds to the sensation you are awake with these products). And the caffeine present is roughly equal to a cup of coffee (although consumed faster because you down these tiny 1-ounce bottles like a shot instead of coffee, which you sip). The result is a temporary surge in alterness. But these products contain not artificial stimulants, nor do they even contain any herbal remedies. They are simply Vitamin/Caffeine shots. Fuel in a Bottle also contains "L-Phenylalanine", an amino acid found in meat and eggs, but not a significant amount.
I am merely reading the ingredients off the side of the bottle. I usually drink a "Five Hour Energy" shot before I play golf on days when I am sleepy, because they can perk you up a bit -- but the local gas station was out of them, so I just so happened to buy the Ric Flair-endorsed brand last week, but haven't used it yet.
NASCAR has a non-exhaustive list that includes:
--Seven different amphetamines, including methamphetamine and PMA, a synthetic psychostimulant and hallucinogen.
--Three drugs classified under ephedrine.
--13 different narcotics, including codeine and morphine.
--Ten different benzodiazepines and barbituates.
--Marijuana, cocaine, zolpidem, nitrites, chromates and drugs that can increase the specific gravity of urine.
Amphetamines are ‘uppers’, which decrease fatigue by increasing levels of the stress hormones norepinephrine (attention and responding/fight-or-flight reactions), and the neurotransmitters serotonin (modulates anger, aggression, mood, metabolism, etc.), and dopamine (increases heart rate and blood pressure).
Ephedrines are stimulants, appetite suppressants, decongestants. The molecule Ephedrine looks very similar to amphetamine. Psuedoephedrine is like the left-handed version of ephedrine and that’s what’s in over-the-counter decongestants like Sudafed.
Narcotics is an imprecise term that usually refers to anything that deadens the senses. Codeine, morphine, heroin, etc. fall in this category.
Benzodiazepines and barbituates are downers, which do the opposite of amphetamines and decrease the action of the central nervous system.
Zolpidem is a sleep aid found in drugs like Ambien). Nitrites and chromates can be used to adulterate a urine sample and these substances have been used in the past to to try to cover drug use.
When Aegis Labs conducts a test, they do not simply say "you tested positive for a stimulant" - they tell you exactly which one. So, AJ isn't telling the full story. Aegis labs conducts a GC/MS test - which is also called a "specific test". "Non-specific tests" can identify if you used a drug in a particular category (like stimulants) and are subject to false positives. "Specific tests" are not, because they do not identify a class of drug, but the actual chemical metabolite itself. So, there is no "false positive" because there is not such thing as one chemical being able to mimic another chemical on the molecular level - which is where this test looks.
When I tune into NASCAR Now, I would *really* like to see some explanation given to fans of the **science** behind these tests. It is not guesswork, it is not highly fallible, it is precise molecular chemistry.
Richmondfan,
I have been told the issue is that this "homemade" regional powershot is very different from the rest.
It tries to combine a standard energy powershot with the ingredients in a protein shake.
That is the reason I am asking. As you know, this issue it not about banned substances, but what amount of stimulant could put a user slightly over the testing limit.
I am not trying to put you on the spot, just looking for an official list of ingredients for a Fuel in a Bottle powershot.
JD
oops...is not about banned...
Ric Flair is the spokesman for "Fuel in a Bottle" and it is Kosher. How could life possibly get better?
I am as well reminded of these two stanzas from "Father William a poem by Lewis Carrol.
"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--
Pray, what is the reason of that?"
"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks,
"I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment -- one shilling the box --
Allow me to sell you a couple?"
There is yet a way to go in this story and I repeat and reaffirm my original position: Zeal is not a virtue.
Ah, well, that company makes two different kinds of power shots -- one is a traditional Niacin/B12/Caffeine power shot. They have a second one that has 25g of protein in it (roughly the same protein as a can of tuna or a small chicken breast), but I don't have that bottle in front of me. The second one, however, is for bodybuilders to use in place of a protein shake (which generally don't taste that great).
I think we can safely assume that this product is not going to be the one AJ claims as causing the positive, anyway. The simple fact of the matter is that I could drink a six-pack of Diet Coke and get WAY more caffeine in my system than I could by drinking one, or even three, of these little bottles of Niacin (in fact, I think three would make you sick - the company webpage says don't take more than two a day).
Let's also not forget a key component to the Aegis/NASCAR policy -- and that is that after a test comes up positive, the lab contacts the driver and interviews them about what caused the positive. Let's say a driver tested positive for Ambien -- if they could produce a valid prescription for Ambien from a doctor, the presence of the drug would not violate NASCAR's policy, and NASCAR would not even be informed of the positive. There is no doubt that after AJ tested, and before NASCAR was informed - he was interviewed and asked about what he was taking. Either he couldn't name something that would cause what they found in him to be present, or else he could not provide a valid Rx for the item, and only THEN was NASCAR notified.
If I were the PR team for this Fuel in a Bottle, I would be releasing a press release PRONTO assuring consumers that use of their product is not going to make you blow a drug test. Any insinuation that their product could do so would be a deathknell.
Aegis does not contact the driver, according to Nate Ryan's article, from the guy who helped write the policy. The medical review officer is contacted; HE talks to the driver.
Look, NASCAR's policy is vague enough to include this:
"...dietary supplements, masking agents and substances that mimic effects of banned substances."
The Fuel in a Bottle junk contains l-phenylalanine, an amino acid with a wide variety of effects including a role as a stimulant. l-phenylalanine can cross react and cause false positives for amphetamines.
I just don't see AJ as a Mayfield-style druggie.
>l-phenylalanine can cross react and cause false positives for amphetamines.
Maybe on an EMIT test, but not on a GC/MS test. Get your facts straight!
Not to keep beating the same drum, but I go back to my point about TNT missing a huge opportunity in last Saturday's pre-race show. They could have explained the process and answered many of our technical questions if they had deviated from their 'rock band and boogie boards' script.
JD & others for ingredient list..
go to fuel in a bottle main site
click on "product info"
then on "Nutritional guide?
it will list all the ingredients in a pop up box, I saw it earlier & put it on twitter.
to clear up some things, B 12 alone is not an "instant energy booster" by itself. The injections can help with fatigue depending on what's wrong with the body (complicated to get specific here, ok?)
Some people have intrinsic factor missing in the stomach lining, especially as we age, thus NEVER absorb oral forms of B12 and must get injections. Or need extremely high doses to get our bodies to absorbe enough.
I've sometimes had to take injections I give myself, on and off over the last 12 years. 1000 mcg per CC, and up to 3 cc at a time of B12. It is a water soluble vitamin and impossible to over dose on it. Your kidneys just flush it out. If it were fat soluble, like Vitamin E, this high dose could be dangerous.
Trust me, even deep IM (Intramuscular shots) never worked 'immediately; when they helped it was delayed, over a several hour period and/or a cumulative affect can happen where I'd take them weekly, then monthly. I write this to clarify the panic on the high amount of B12 on this product. That is not the problem, folks!
The high doses of B12 in any product may not even be absorbed in pill form (or injectable as you need to take other forms of VitaBs to make it all work) thus extra is often given (remember, individually, we absorb vitamins differently so need more than the average RDA which is always lower than most humans need!)
Yes, L-phenylalanine is an amino acid and naturally in some foods, yes but separated and manufactured as a pill form on it's own, is a completely different animal.
It can cause high blood pressure, moodiness,headaches.
No regulation to this stuff.
Add that to the caffeine, and other things in this dangerous "energy drink" and many things can happen to the body. If AJ is a health nut or clean eater (say a strict vegan who does not use oils) he could absorb more of this supplements ingredients.
My sister and a friend of mine are what's called "clean eaters" They eat a 100% plant based diet and never add oils (not even olive oil to foods) When both have had to have surgery, they told the anesthesiologist this before surgery. They required much less medication to be put to sleep than the average person, as their livers are cleaner, so it was important for the anesthesiologist to know this. I'm giving this as an example of how diff bodies react.
I don't want to get all technical here, but this mix of 'energy drinks' is an accident waiting to happen. And in somebody with a hidden genetic heart disorder, in rare chances can be fatal!
AJ is endorsing a dangerous cocktail.
Since AJ was only mildly out of the threshold of normal, i can easily see this drink he endorsed as the culprit.
Kohoso,
I agree with your comments. The low life sponsors in NASCAR is a disgrace and the male enhancement stuff, fraudelent and embarrassing.
If AJ's sponsored energy drink is the culprit, would we, Indeed, ever find out?
So this ingredient was found in the A test? I'm so confused. Can't AJ just not use this product anymore and call it good? It's not like it's meth.
Per Red's comment yesterday, I read Dr Diandra's column. She mentioned the gymnast who took a pre-menstrual product that made her test dirty. Once they knew what it was, she got a warning. Is this the same deal for AJ?
>Since AJ was only mildly out of the
>threshold of normal, i can easily
>see this drink he endorsed as the culprit.
Who says he was only "mildly out of the threshhold of normal"? Where you getting this?
And, really, who says he even drinks this stuff? Just because he got a sponsorship from them? I mean, Kasey Kahne used to drive the Bud car - does that mean he drinks Bud or that they just pay to advertise? I bet Ric Flair never drinks this stuff - they paid him to be in the commercials. I mean, really folks.
Going to have to wait and see...but if the sample comes back positive (and I believe it will)...it then up to AJ.
Does he go for the program prescribed and save his career and continue to make some cash or does he follow in Mayfield's shoes and loses everything? I'd go with the program and a good therapist.
I only wish the best for the Dinger.
Thanks for the updates, JD. My brother was told by his doctor to NEVER use Red Bull, 5 hr energy shots or any of the so-called "energy drinks" as they could cause an adverse physical response.
Back in the day when you could buy ephedrine over the counter, I was very tired at work and one of my co-workers gave me 1 table to take. Well, I didn't feel tired any more but I also felt like I was going to have either a heart attack or jump out of my skin. That was a one and done for me. Of course that has also been taken off the market for causing heart issues for even very young people.
So back to NASCAR - how do you balance using your sponsor's product with finding out that it may make you test positive on a drug test?
Y'know - let's skip the speculation; show us all the initial dip test, and then show us the gas chromo test, results, and what spiked on it.
Why is this a big deal for Nascar or Aegis?
The results are what they are. So - put them out there, and if there's scientists or former drug abusers, the truth will emerge real quick like.
I wonder why Nascar is so cagey about this. There is HIPPA - but you sign that right off the second you choose to race.
I'll go with the conspiracy theorists here; doubt AJ is taking anything, $5 says his energy drink sponsor's formula is involved in concert with medication, and as for Nascar - transparency isn't their strong point.
small track racer "where am I getting this question" about threshold? Heck I don't remember it was all over twitter but I found one of the many sites with a quote from Allmendinger' s racing company president Tara Ragan"
"AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over-the-counter product caused his positive test," said Ragan, adding: "Our understanding is that AJ's test was slightly above the threshold.
Regarding smalltrackracer's comment. Isn't there some kind of law or such that if you promote a product, you have to use it? I believe that's how celebrities can also be sued, along with the manufacturer if the product doesn't work. JD, didn't you have a column about this?
If NASCAR holds suit, they will announce the results of the "b" sample 90 minutes before the New Hampshire race. That way they can ensure a good well planned train wreck, like last week. I'm sure Shell Pennzoil isn't happy with how the last announcement was made. I sure would like to see NASCAR's PR department. It probably resembles a third grade classroom. To KoHo and 53 Yr. Fan: I agree, and I'll add this: Remember when Derrick Cope had Redneck Salvage as his sponsor right before Daytona a few years ago? He ran blank quarter panels the rest of the race.
I wont pretend to be well educated in this area of what drinks contain what etc. Here is my question, lets just say IF the positive test was from one of thethings in one of those energy drinks, realistically does AJ truly need to go to the mandatory rehab process.. I have no problem suspending him if whatever was found in his body is on that banned substance list by NASCAR... MY only question is do they treat this like an addiction.. Im sure the policy is you have to complete the madatory rehab to be reinstated... But does someone truly need to go to the intense rehab program for injesting an energy drink? I hope im explaining myself properly. I guessa rule is a rule, but do you get what im trying to say?
Maybe NA$CAR should introduce their
own OFFICIAL energy drink to avoid
any testing conflicts. I read today that they are now selling a
line of NA$CAR clothing. Wonder
what a product will have to pay to
get their patch displayed on an
official garment? Guess they weren't making enough on the licensed items sold by the teams.
Forget the racin'...more marketing geniusry to follow.
53yrfan - Ha! Based on my own observations at the tracks, souvenir sales are down quite a bit since the crowds are only around a few trailers these days. Iknow that I have bought very little NASCAR paraphenalia in the past couple of years and when I buy it, I buy it on sale.
if the case is that AJ is suspended because of this 'homemade' energy shot then you get what you get I guess. Yes it is stupid that he is suspended over this ridiculous drink. I wonder how NASCAR is gonna go about reinstating him.. drug rehab? for an energy shot? thats rare. WHOO. Ric Flair
53yr Fan: I'll add another to your last comment. Sorry, JD, I will get back on base here in a second. When Kyle Petty launched Victory Junction shortly after Adam's death, his charity camp was wildly popular. On it's own. Then Brian gets his filthy paws involved, and started the NASCAR Foundation, linking Victory Junction, The Earnhardt Legacy Foundation, et. al, just so he can have a monetary connection to how the proceeds are dispursed. One day, the teams will show up at the track, like the good little "contracted workers" that they are, and there will be a sheet at the entry gate telling them which cars are theirs, what sponsor stickers to put on them, and who the driver will be. My point is that they say they want to assist in cost cutting for teams, but then leave them to the Wall Street wolves as to how they can "make" it in the sport. Not long ago, when Richard Petty was about to fold, Right before Gillette came in, Mike Helton and Brian France both said, "Well, it's sad, but this is a business." So their amount of compassion for the very people that help them build the sport are relegated to fending for themselves, all the while treading thin ice on certain sponsors that may or may not be "dangerous" to the sport. I.E. Energy drinks, medicines, etc. Curious, what chemicals are in Viagra? If a driver has to use a product, then Mark Martin would have tested positive for various "drugs" that alter the mind and body...Just sayin'...
IMHO posting that photo with that headline here on the front page of such a well-respected blog before we know any details about the B sample test is irresponsible. The "bomb" will be the B sample result. This is just speculation.
AJ's situation is starting to resemble the Mayfield saga.
This nothing to do with any energy drink, Allmindinger ingested something far worse into his body.
@atd118,
I get what you mean. And knowing nascar and how they do things, they'll make him go to rehab.
AJ hasn't even said what the stimulant in question was. And he knows, because they tested him positive for a specific substance, not a category of drugs. I think it had anything to do with this stupid Ric Flair drink, he would have just told NASCAR - look, that stimulant is in MY SPONSORS PRODUCT and that would be the end of it. After all, I'm sure NASCAR already knows he drinks that, and that isn't the problem. The problem is that they found something that wasn't supposed to be there.
I think the reason he hasn't said exactly which stimulant it is has to do with the fact that we would then know that it didn't come from supplements or workout-out aids. And I think the reason he hasn't offered up what medicines he is taking is because if they were a legit alibi, he could just say "I take X by perscription and that is what caused it" and that would be the end of it.
At some point, someone will anonymously leak out the substance. I just hope AJ is man enough to admit to what he did so he can get on with his career instead of pulling a Mayfield and trying to win public support with junk science and conspiracy theories and then sabotaging himself.
vast majority of the energy drinks are mostly sugar & normal (a few cups of coffee) amounts of caffeine
The simple fact of the matter is that I could drink a six-pack of Diet Coke and get WAY more caffeine in my system than I could by drinking one, or even three, of these little bottles of Niacin
A six pack of Diet Coke is about 2 cups of coffee.
47 mg caffeine – Diet Coke
135 mg – 8 oz regular brewed coffee
an endorser doesn't have to use a product to advertise. He/she just can't say they do if they don't (a false claim.) I don't think Martin ever claimed to use Viagra, for example. Pfizer made it all about 'men's health' at that time.
Anyone who takes any kind of stimulant or OTC drug, especially knowing that you will be drug tested, is a fool. How many investigative shows have their been, and how many articles have been written, expounding on the safety, or lack thereof, of supplements? While I'm not a huge believer in the FDA, they have been warning people of the nasty side effects of dietary supplements for years. And, I have heard many in the medical profession speak of the dangers of not only some supplements, but also of drinks like Five Hour Energy and even the ubiquitous Red Bull-type beverages. AJ was a fool to take any kind of supplement/stimulant even though he endorses it.
RichmondFan sure sounds like someone who knows what they are talking about (I wonder if that has anything to do with the name "RichmondFan"). To add on to this ... NASCAR has done their selves no favors with their drug testing policy. We can trace their horrendous policies back to the horrible situation of TIM RICHMOND in 1988. (Which again--makes me wonder how much knowledge RichmondFan really knows and understands--meaning--it sounds like this person knows more than the average person .. so it may be time to listen to them). When you test positive in other sports .... it is usually made public as to what the offending substance is. If there is anything that leads to more questions and the perception of shady, back door deals ... it is the fact that NASCAR keeps information "private" for the protection of the drivers privacy. Well ... what ever. That policy just invites more questions ... and gives people the ability to say that NASCAR can slant the situation in any way that they see fit. Be a good soldier ... they will rush you through the policy and get you back on track. Be a bad soldier ... be treated like Tim Richmond. They will use the case of Jeremy Mayfield to disprove my theory ... but ... their lack of transparency is the reason why Jeremy Mayfield tested the system. (Something NASCAR learned after the Tim Richmond situation).
It really doesn't matter if I think that Allmendinger tested positive or not ... until NASCAR provides transparency into their process ... there will always be questions.
Also--mark me in the column that thinks that the energy drink would NOT cause a false positive. Drug testing is WAY past that. Not only will drug testing speak to specific substances ... but it will also speak to incorrect ratios of the body's naturally occurring processes (which signal certain drug usage).
Still .. just sad to see that NASCAR still chooses to learn nothing from what happened to Tim Richmond 24 years ago. I will always watch NASCAR ... and will always be somewhat loyal ... but it would be great if things could change quickly.
@Colorado
Your whole point on Martin is off base...You speak like the ingredients in Viagra are locked away in a vault..If you are going to play devils advocate at least put five seconds of research it
Anon 3:07PM,
I made sure to say clearly in the column that the energy drink in question had not been proven to be the cause of the failed test.
Anon 6:01PM,
The problem there is that even if he ingested the substance through his energy drink sponsorship, that does not make the test result go away.
Last season an NBA player failed a random drug test after drinking one energy drink that he bought from a gas station on the way to practice.
Anon 7:59PM,
If you check YouTube, you will find AJ drinking the drink and explaining how it is part of his daily routine. He took it every day since March of this year.
Final note: Allmendinger will have his "B" sample tested early next week with a toxicologist from his legal team watching the proces.
JD
>If you check YouTube, you will find
>AJ drinking the drink and explaining
>how it is part of his daily routine
Sorry, I still don't believe it. I've seen the video in question, and it doesn't even look like there's anything in the bottle when he fake-drinks it.
The video is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Ey7X-RIDg&feature=plcp
Jump to 1:00 in, when AJ "chugs" the empty bottle and his adams apple doesn't even move. Nice try.
It was a boring race. Fish following other fish, mechanical failures, and after that - maintain your position!
Pretty bad. There was a lot of racing if you listened to the scanners...TV had split screen shots of nothing and a helmet.
Someone got paid for that; specifically, the company that installs those cams, and Nascar.
You have to pay to have one of those most of the time.
That and side-by-side cams was ESPN's bread and butter. Thanks. Longer shots here and there, but someone was paying their bills, and they step and fetched with cameras, screens, etc.
It's like bad politics, man. You get money when you help us out..
Blech.
It sucked. I hope tires are sellable. Otherwise, disappointed as a fan.
To the Anon commenter from July 12th at 6:01pm: AJ doesn't have to "try to win public support", he has it and has had it since day one. He will continue to have it. Not everyone kicks someone when they are down or abandons ship. He is a good guy no matter what. Thanks. ~DingerNation
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