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Racing Notebook: Driver for Petty is placed on probation
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Published: October 30, 2009
■ NASCAR placed driver AJ Allmendinger on probation yesterday after his arrest earlier in the day in Mooresville on a charge of drunken driving.
Mooresville police said Allmendinger failed a field-sobriety test after he was pulled over. Late yesterday afternoon, Allmendinger was placed on probation until the end of the year by NASCAR for actions detrimental to stock-car racing.
Allmendinger, who drives the No. 44 for Richard Petty Motorsports, said in a statement that he had drinks with dinner and made a mistake in driving afterward.
"I honestly felt fine, but I obviously should have erred more on the side of caution, particularly given what I do for a living," Allmendinger said. "It was a bad judgment call, and I apologize for that."
In a statement released by RPM, Richard Petty said: "AJ has accepted full responsibility for his actions and will work to make this right. On behalf of everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports we sincerely apologize to our fans and partners."
Allmendinger is a major factor in RPM's long-range plans, and team officials told The Associated Press that Allmendinger was going to be moved into Petty's famed No. 43 next season. Best Buy is expected to sponsor the car.
It's not clear how the arrest might affect that relationship. Petty routinely shunned alcohol sponsorship and refused to allow his teams to participate in NASCAR's second-tier series when it was sponsored by Busch.
■ An official said that Bruno Senna will drive next year for new Formula One team Campos.
A Brazilian official involved in the negotiations said that Senna, 26, the nephew of Ayrton Senna, a three-time world champion, completed a deal to drive for the Spanish team last weekend.
No other details were disclosed and the official asked yesterday not to be named.
Senna had said during this month's Brazilian Grand Prix that he was in talks with three teams, including Campos.
Before his death on the track in 1994, Ayrton Senna had predicted his nephew would one day be an F1 star.
■ Nico Rosberg has confirmed that this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be his last with the Williams team in Formula One.
Rosberg wouldn't say which team he would join in 2010, with Brawn GP or McLaren thought to be the major contenders. Much of that will rest on Mercedes' decision on its future ownership stakes in the two teams.
Rosberg said he was eager to join a team that had the potential to win races next season -- something he thought was beyond Williams.
Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello has held talks with Williams about joining in 2010 and is considered the most likely contender to replace Rosberg.
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