Driver Allmendinger fails drug test

NASCAR temporarily suspended driver AJ Allmendinger for a failed drug test, forcing Penske Racing officials to scramble to get Sam Hornish Jr. to the track before Saturday night’s race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Allmendinger’s suspension was announced about 90 minutes before the race by NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations Steve O’Donnell.

Allmendinger’s “A” sample taken last weekend at Kentucky Speedway came back positive, and the driver has 72 hours to request his “B” sample be tested.

“NASCAR has a strict drug testing program that Penske Racing fully supports. Penske Racing will work with NASCAR through this process and its next steps,” the team said in a statement.

Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said NASCAR notified the organization Saturday afternoon, and the immediate focus became getting Hornish back from North Carolina, where he was about to do a live television show on the Speed Channel.

Hornish finished 10th in Friday night’s Nationwide Series race, and the team sent a plane to get him back to Daytona, where Allmendinger was scheduled to start eighth.

Franchitti claims pole at Toronto

Defending champion Dario Franchitti won the pole for IndyCar’s race at Toronto.

Franchitti won the qualifying session among the fastest six with a time of 59.351 seconds. That was 0.24 seconds ahead of IndyCar points leader Will Power, who will join him on the front for the race today.

Franchitti has won three straight poles, but is looking for a better finish come race day. His engine failed before the start of the race in Iowa two weeks ago.

Alonso fastest in British qualifying

Formula One leader Fernando Alonso put Ferrari on pole for the first time in 31 races after mastering the rain-soaked track in a disrupted qualifying session for the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England.

The reigning Silverstone champion was just 0.047 seconds faster than Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who will start today’s race alongside him on the front row and is his closest competitor in the championship.

Nobile wins K&N Horsepower event

Vincent Nobile became the youngest driver to win the K&N Horsepower Challenge, the special Pro Stock race-within-a-race bonus event at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

Nobile drove his Dodge Avenger to a 6.750-second run at 205.94 mph in the final round for the $50,000 prize.

Johnny Gray, Steve Torrence, Allen Johnson, and Andrew Hines also raced to the No. 1 qualifying spots in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.