Updated with statement from Austin Wayne Self
On Monday, when NASCAR posted their weekly penalty report, it revealed that NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self has been suspended indefinitely following a violation of NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. He must now go through NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program in order to be reinstated.
Self, 23, was absent in the last two Truck Series races at Martinsville and Texas, his home track. Instead, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace took over the driving duties for Self’s family owned AM Racing. However, at the time, AM Racing stated that the move to have Wallace as their driver was to “advance the performance component of our program.”
Austin Wayne Self has 1 Top-5 and 5 Top-10 finishes in his 66-race Truck Series career that started in 2016. In 3 starts in 2019, Self scored a 17.0 average finish, including a Top-10 finish at Daytona. Prior to Wallace taking over the #22 AM Racing Chevrolet, Self was sitting 12th in driver points and currently stands in the 18th points position.
AM Racing has released the following statement:
AM Racing, the Self family team, said it will continue racing and Austin will return following his suspension. Team statement: pic.twitter.com/34XcU8syY1
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 1, 2019
On Tuesday, Austin Wayne Self released a statement of his own:
— Austin Wayne Self (@AustinWSelf) April 2, 2019
Also included in NASCAR’s penalty report was a lug nut violation for the #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the Cup Series. As a result, crew chief John Klausmeier has been fined $10,000 for a loose lug nut at the end of the race on Sunday.
