NASCAR has lifted its indefinite suspension of driver Sam Rameau, effective May 15.
Rameau has not been in competition behind the wheel since his team was involved an ugly issue last October during an Open Modified event at Thompson Speedway.
Sam Rameau was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening. Randy Rameau, the father of Sam Rameau, did not want to comment on the news beyond confirming the suspension had been lifted.
The news of the the NASCAR suspenion being lifted opens up another racing option for Sam Rameau.
Willy Doucette, operator of the Milton Cat Modified Racing Series, recently confirmed to RaceDayCT that Sam Rameau was welcome to compete with that series.
The Miller Lite Salutes Wayne Anderson 200 at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway on May 18 would be the first Whelen Modified Tour event in which Sam Rameau could participate.
Sam Rameau will be on probation with NASCAR through the 2024 season.
Sam Rameau has made 36 Whelen Modified Tour starts over the last six seasons and was the 2019 Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year. He has three top-five’s and nine top-10’s with the division.
Following the incident during the Open Modified event at Thompson on Oct. 9, 2023, Sam Rameau was suspended by NASCAR and a host of regional divisions and racing facilities.
Sam Rameau remains indefinitely suspended from action with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series. He’s also not allowed to compete in events at Thompson Speedway. The Whelen Modified Tour has two more events at Thompson Speedway in 2024. The Whelen Modified Tour is next in action on Saturday for the Granite State Derby at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, N.H. The series returns to Monadnock two more times in 2024. Monadnock officials announced last fall that Sam Rameau was banned from competing in events at Monadnock. Sources close to Monadnock said Thursday that ban remains in place.
Sam Rameau has been working with NASCAR in recent months in an effort to get reinstated by the sanctioning body.
Doucette said Sam Rameau is welcome to compete with his series, but with one catch.
Doucette said the final decision on whether or not Sam Rameau would be allowed to race in one of his division’s events falls on the track operator where the division is racing.
“We stayed pretty neutral in this,” Doucette told RaceDayCT. “We’re just waiting to see how everything turns out. That’s where I stand with it. I don’t have a problem with Sammy racing. I think most of what really happened – from the hearsay, and I can only go off of hearsay because I wasn’t there – was that it had a lot more to do with his dad and his crew than it did with Sammy.”
The Milton Cat Modified Racing Series opens its 2024 season on Saturday at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Chris Austill from the New London-Waterford Speedbowl confirmed to RaceDayCT recently that Rameau is not welcome to compete in Speedbowl events.
“As I explained to [Rameau’s father Randy], it’s not as much my call, we’re guests when we go to these tracks,” Doucette said.
Sam Rameau is the second Whelen Modified Tour driver to have an indefinite suspenion lifted by NASCAR this week. Stephen Kopcik’s indefinite NASCAR suspension was lifted Tuesday.
This director is saying hearsay when the videos were all over every social media and even I think a Ct news station what more evidence did you need? And if you saw the videos the guy punching George thru the passenger side window was Sammy. Hate to say it but I guess when you have money you can buy your way out of anything. His dad shouldn’t be allowed in any track the video clear as day him hitting another guy with his crew helmet has no place anywhere.
Banned through the off season. What a punishment. LOL
I believe in redemption and I think he / they should be given that opportunity. Not making excuses for their past behavior but ALL of us screw up at times in our lives and put some hurt on others and/or embarrass ourselves at some point. Of course they need to be on a short leash and yes a ZERO tolerance for more bad behavior should and likely will be in place. Sammy shows flashes of skill at times and I hope they focus their collective energy into developing their racing. Welcome back 06 team.
Can you say “desperate for cars”? I’m sure he and his family have learned their lessons and this was an isolated incident, will never happened again.
Take off a helmet and swing, rip a driver out of their car. But yes, redemption deserved. Wasn’t this not the first incident involving this group?
KC,
Just for facts sake, because someone blanket comments sort of murky up the story. This story is only about one person having their suspension lifted, Sam Rameau. And Sam Rameau did not swing a helmet at anyone. Again, not saying the decision was right or wrong, just saying that part of the situation was not done by Sam.
If NASCAR had any promotional bones left in them they would have Kopcik and Rameau fight in a cage match at Monadnock Saturday. Winner of the fight gets their license back. Loser sits out the year. These two guys wanna throw knuckles at other drivers and cops, let them use their fists to get their license back.
The Other Don King–Thanks for the laugh! I’m available for training, corner work, and commentating the action, I’m also available to their race teams as a chassis specialist as I know how to keep a nose stuck on the white line!
Good point Don R. Makes it sound even more ridiculous when you think about it that way.
That’s rich coming from Waterford. Didn’t the owner of that track have some trouble with the law some years back? Too lazy to look at archives but I’m sure said owner was/is glad for the chance to go on with his life at some point. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but no charges were brought about to anyone in the aftermath of the incident at Thompson; right? To me, with the exception of the Thompson promoters who “have a dog in the race” because the incident occurred at”their”track ; all the other promoters that continue to bar Rameau are just virtue signaling. I was a little surprised at Vanada taking such a hard line stance. Hasn’t Rameau won at least one race at Monadnock? It almost seemed like NU$CAR was just setting the table for Vanada to add another competitive team to race at the plentiful Vanada events with tour mods scheduled this year. With the good weather forecast I’ll be watching close the size of the crowd Saturday. It usually takes a little time but EIRI trying to one up NU$CAR on virtue signaling never ends well.
Yeah that makes perfect sense enduro. Because Waterford’s owner has been in trouble with the law then they shouldn’t have an issue with allowing him to race there.
Don’t forget Hillary 2024, he also won a race at Monadnock.