HIGH POINT, N.C. - NASCAR driver Scott Wimmer was convicted of driving while impaired and leaving the scene of a January accident.
He received a 60-day suspended sentence and was placed on unsupervised probation for a year Tuesday. He also was ordered to perform 24 hours of community service.
Wimmer can compete, but he will be on probation for the rest of the NASCAR season and must perform further community service that the series is arranging.
Wimmer was granted a limited driver's license for 12 months which could be revoked if he is found driving with alcohol in his system, defense lawyer Chuck Alexander said Wednesday.
The 28-year-old driver already has undergone an alcohol assessment, which found he had no substance abuse problems, satisfying the last term of the sentence, Alexander said.
"I respect the decision of the courts," Wimmer said. "I'm eager to put all of this behind me and move forward. My next commitment to putting all of this behind me is to try and help others from making the same mistake that I've made."
Should Wimmer lose his license, he would not necessarily be banned from NASCAR events, spokesman Mike Zizzo said. To drive in races, drivers must possess a valid NASCAR license, which requires that they be 18, physically fit and able to pass driving ability tests administered by NASCAR. Alexander said his client might not appeal.
Indianapolis 500 rating reaches a record low
The rating for the rain-shortened Indianapolis 500 reached a record low, down 11 percent from last year, and was lower than the weekend's NASCAR race for the third straight year.
The race on ABC on Sunday, which was delayed at the start for two hours because of rain and stopped for an hour and 47 minutes after 27 laps, got a 4.1 rating, down from 4.6 last year.
Buddy Rice won the race, which was stopped about 50 miles from its scheduled finish because of the weather.
Fox's coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race had a 5.0 rating. The 22 percent disparity was the largest since the NASCAR races overtook the Indy 500 three years ago.
NO APPEAL: Orange County, Calif., prosecutors won't appeal a court ruling that dismissed murder charges against a promoter in the killings of racer Mickey Thompson and his wife. The decision means racing promoter Michael Goodwin could be released from jail by the end of the month, Deputy District Attorney Jim Mulgrew said.
