Cory Roper has been indefinitely suspended for violating NASCAR‘s substance abuse policy. Details of the infraction such as the offending substance were not publicly revealed nor has Roper commented on the matter.
NASCAR’s policy on substances is outlined in Section 4.1 of the rulebook, while violations also fall under Section 10.1.A for “general procedure”.
Roper oversees Craftsman Truck Series team Roper Racing alongside his family, and has raced for the operation since 2018. For 2023, Roper Racing will field the #04 Ford F-150 for Kaden Honeycutt in the first six races, though Honeycutt failed to qualify for the season opener at Daytona last week.
As a driver, Roper nearly won the 2021 Daytona race but was edged out by Ben Rhodes coming to the finish and placed third. It was his best finish to date and one of three career top tens alongside a ninth at Texas in 2019 and sixth at Talladega later in 2021. Roper’s lone start of 2022 at Talladega was aborted due to weather concerns.
NASCAR has conducted random drug testing since 2009 for all personnel including drivers and crew. The most recent suspension of a driver is Xfinity Series owner/driver Caesar Bacarella in late 2021.