NASCAR has placed AJ Allmendinger on probation after the Sprint Cup series racer was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Californian was relatively lightly punished by the sanctioning body after Moorresville, N.C. police arrested him on Thursday. The 27-year-old apologized for the issue in a statement admitting his mistake, one he hopes he and others can learn from. Team principal Richard Petty expressed his disappointment about the issue as well and apologized on his team's behalf to fans and sponsors as well.
"I am deeply disappointed this has happened," 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."
Despite the issue, Allmendinger will still compete this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.