LOUDON, N.H. — A week after the suspension of AJ Allmendinger, Carl Edwards said he wants drivers to pay for a drug testing system to help avoid mistakes he said could occur under NASCAR's program.
"It's an imperfect world. People are imperfect. Tests are imperfect," Edwards said Friday. "We need to have our own group that is paid by us, that works for us, to be here in tandem with NASCAR's drug testers and have them test us at the same time.
"I don't think it would be a contentious thing. I think that would remove almost all doubt in any situation of a positive test."
Edwards called NASCAR's approach "very admirable" in trying to keep the sport clean but "there's one more layer that we could put on it. You don't want to convict a guy of something he didn't do."
Brad Keselowski, a teammate of Allmendinger, criticized Edwards' proposal.
"I don't think we need more politics involved in the sport, and that's what (testing) groups like that bring in," he said. "I don't think there needs to be any committee that approves drugs or supplements or whatever it is. You shouldn't be allowed to take anything. You should just man up and drive the race car."
Allmendinger was suspended about 90 minutes before last week's race at Daytona after his "A" urine sample taken the previous weekend at Kentucky Speedway came back positive. (His business manager said Wednesday he tested positive for a stimulant, but NASCAR has not identified the substance.)
Allmendinger has requested his "B" sample be tested and plans to have his own toxicologist present when that is done, probably next week.
Even if that test is negative, Allmendinger's future in the sport is in danger, Keselowski said.
"It doesn't make a difference. It's still a death sentence," he said. "Within this sport, we rely on sponsors and reputation."
Sam Hornish replaced Allmendinger in the Daytona race and will drive again Sunday.
"I hope we get a full story," Jeff Gordon said. "You certainly like to know what it is … what could have caused it."
Kyle Busch gets pole: Kyle Busch nearly brushed the wall at the end but still got the pole for Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Loudon, N.H. Busch, the last driver of the day, had a lap of 133.417 for his first pole of the year. He edged Kasey Kahne, who drove 133.403. Matt Kenseth, first in the standings, qualified 27th.
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