NASCAR suspends driver; hits Xfinity team with testing penalty

Caesar Bacarella, who drove part-time in the Xfinity Series this season, was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR on Monday for a violation of its Substance Abuse Policy.

In a statement from his current team, Alpha Prime Racing, team co-owner Tommy Joe Martins said Bacarella, 45, had unknowingly taken a workout supplement on NASCAR’s banned substances list.

“He has fully complied with NASCAR, already enrolled in the Road to Recovery program, and we fully expect him to be suiting up for Alpha Prime Racing at Daytona in February,” Martins said.

Caesar Bacarella, DGM Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Maxim / Alpha Prime Regimen

Photo by: Russell LaBounty / NKP / Motorsport Images

Also on Monday, NASCAR hit Xfinity Series team owner/driver Mike Harmon with a massive penalty of Harmon’s team posted pictures last week of him driving his No. 74 Chevrolet driving on the track at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, which used to host NASCAR events.

Harmon was docked 75 driver and owner points going into the 2022 season for the No. 74 team and his crew chief, Ryan Bell, was fined $50,000 and suspended for the first six races of the 2022 season.

Harmon told KickintheTires.net that he participated in the Nov. 13 “Motorfest at Thunder Valley” event at the track, which allowed vintage and current stock cars to take exhibition laps around the historic speedway.