FIA bans former F1, IndyCar driver Tom Enge for failed drug test

Just a week after NASCAR took away AJ Allmendinger's keys indefinitely, the result of a failed drug test, Motorsport.com is reporting that the FIA has sidelined Tom Enge for a similar infraction. Enge also failed a recent drug test, earning an 18-month ban from racing for what would be his second such infraction.

Back in 2002, Enge finished the Formula 3000 season atop the standings, but had his title stripped after testing positive for marijuana use. According to the report, Enge denies that he's back on the drug, saying that he has chronic health problems and has asked the FIA for an exemption from its drug testing rules for medications related to his cardiovascular problems. Enge intends to fight the suspension in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Most recently, Enge has been racing in the GT1 sports car series, though he drove in Formula One in 2001 and raced in IndyCar during the 2005 season. His greatest successes have come behind the wheel of sports cars, earning a class victory in the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of a Ferrari and winning the 2009 European Le Mans Series LMP1 championship driving an Aston Martin.