Tyler Dippel, the Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver suspended indefinitely by NASCAR last week, was charged by New York State Police on Aug. 18 with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree in his hometown of Wallkill, New York, NBC Sports has confirmed.
Fox Sports first reported the charge.
Criminal possession of a controlled substance is a class A misdemeanor. The seventh degree is the lowest level offense for that charge.
According to New York state law, if convicted, Dippel could face a maximum of one year in jail or three years probation. In addition, a fine of up to $1,000 or twice the amount of the individual’s gain from the crime may be imposed.
Dippel’s court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in Wallkill Court in Middletown, New York.
The spokesperson confirmed that Dippel, 19, was pulled over in a Ford F-150 truck after he was caught driving more than 80 mph in a 65 mph zone.
According to the spokesperson, when Troopers questioned Dippel and the person he was traveling with, they had conflicting stories about where they were traveling to and from.
The spokesperson said Dippel gave permission for Troopers to search his vehicle. The spokesperson said that in the search, Troopers found a pill bottle of Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine in a backpack. The bottle was prescribed to someone else. The Trooper spokesperson could not say who it was prescribed to or how many pills were in the bottle.
NASCAR announced its suspension of Dippel last Friday before the race weekend in Canada. He was suspended for violating Section 12.1 of the NASCAR rule book for actions detrimental to stock car racing, including a violation of the sport’s code of conduct.
Dippel drove for Young’s Motorsports in the first 17 races of the year. He was replaced in Sunday’s race by D.J. Kennington, who finished 15th.
