Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self suspended for failing February drug test

NASCAR announced Monday that Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of the series’ substance abuse policy.

Self, 23, has missed the last two Truck Series races for what the team originally said was for performance-based reasons. Darrell Wallace has driven for the team at both Martinsville and Texas.

Self said Tuesday that his positive test came from a test at Daytona International Speedway. He said it was “disheartening” to learn that he had tested positive.

Self competed in three races after positive test

Daytona is the first race of the Truck Series season. The race was on Feb. 15. Self competed in that race and also ran at Atlanta and Las Vegas before he was out of the truck. That means he competed in three races following the positive test.

A NASCAR spokesperson confirmed that Self’s positive test came at Daytona. After the “A sample” of a driver’s drug test comes back “non-negative” it is tested further for confirmation of a positive test. After the positive test is confirmed by a medical review officer, an investigation is conducted regarding the positive test.

A driver can also either request that his “B sample” be tested or waive that right after he’s informed of the positive test.

The steps involved in the testing of Self’s samples took longer than NASCAR would have liked, though the series said it is happy with its testing protocol and processes.

According to NASCAR’s rulebook, the series has discretion to temporarily suspend a driver before the second sample is tested for reasons that include “concerns regarding the safety of the NASCAR members and others at the event or on-track” and “concerns regarding the fairness of a competition.”

Self has one career top five

Per NASCAR protocol, Self will have to go through the road to recovery program to be reinstated into the series. The 23-year-old has one top five and five top-10 finishes in 66 career starts. The next Truck Series race is at Dover in May.

Self’s top five came at Daytona when he finished second to Kaz Grala in 2017. He was ninth at Daytona in the first race of 2019. Since then Self posted finishes of 27th and 15th at Atlanta and Las Vegas while driving for his family-owned team.

Self is the second driver in the last 12 months to be suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. Last May, NASCAR announced that Spencer Gallagher had been suspended indefinitely days after he won the Xfinity Series race at Talladega.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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