MA stewards’ documentation shows long-time ARC competitor Scott O’Keefe was disqualified from competing in the two Saturday races at Surfers Paradise.
A testing official had reported O’Keefe with a Blood Alcohol Concentration above the 0.010 threshold, while a secondary, confirmation test produced a reading of 0.020.
Under the Motorsport Australia Alcohol Policy, any participant whose confirmation test produces a positive reading will be disqualified from that day of the event.
O’Keefe said the positive reading was the result of using Listerine, a mouthwash that contains over 20 percent alcohol content.
“I’d had Listerine, and I told them that,” O’Keefe told Speedcafe of his interaction with officials on Saturday morning.
“I also asked them that, when you’re on the road, a normal breath test doesn’t equate to you being over until you’ve been assessed correctly.
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“I challenged it, and they didn’t accept it. It’s an actual joke because it was minutely over, it was so close it wasn’t funny.
“I explained my situation and didn’t get anywhere, obviously, they were just bound by the written rulebook and that was it.”
O’Keefe was eligible to return to action on Sunday, albeit the ARC finale did not take place due to technical issues at the circuit.
Although the event is now finished, the building company director said he will investigate the appeal process.
“I’m going to try and challenge it and get to the bottom of it,” he said.
“I don’t want to be labelled something I’m not when it was Listerine. Sorry for cleaning my teeth!”
MA elected in 2020 to begin publicly naming those who breach its alcohol and illicit drug policies, having previously held a discretion on first-time offenders.
The governing body declared the change would “serve as a further deterrent and encourage all those involved in motorsport to understand the importance of adhering to the policy.”
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