Mayfield Suspension Talk

NASCAR suspends Sprint Cup driver under terms of drug policy

By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com
Saturday, May. 09, 2009
NASCAR has suspended a Sprint Cup driver under terms of its substance abuse policy - immediately and indefinitely - in advance of Saturday nightís race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, ThatsRacin.com and The Charlotte Observer have learned.

Sources said the driver, who has not been identified by officials, was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 7-5 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. The determination was based on findings at last weekendís race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

NASCAR on Saturday declined to discuss the matter, saying that questions would be dealt with in a news conference at the South Carolina track on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Such a suspension would be the first under NASCARís drug policies for a driver at the top level, the Spring Cup Series.

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Permalink Reply by roush699 on July 3, 2009 at 12:06pm

Jimbeam7, you are so right, and I also agree with Bighead, what a Catch-22 NASCAR has created.

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Permalink Reply by TOG on July 2, 2009 at 1:43pm

One thing is for certain: Mayfield will never be this popular again once this all blows over.

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Permalink Reply by JUSTIN GALBREATH on July 2, 2009 at 2:00pm

the claritin and ADD. thing is bullshit....thats amphet. not Meth. (??spelling?)

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Permalink Reply by kurt kern on July 2, 2009 at 2:04pm

I've always rooted against Mayfield, but in this case, if Mayfiled knocks a piece off NASCAR and a little humility is the result, I wouldn't mind. I agree with Bighead. It really is unfortunate that that JM didn't just let NASCAR know what he has been taking.....it could have been just that easy....or at least easier. I feel bad for him if he is really getting screwed. I won't feel bad at all if NASCAR bleeds a little...... if their drug testing policy gets a few ligitimate holes punched in it by some experts. The policy will improve if that happens.

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Permalink Reply by JUSTIN GALBREATH on July 2, 2009 at 2:06pm

I dont feel like theres hardly any way that he could be getting screwed...and why pick him if you have that kind of power.....Go for little JR. Ha

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Permalink Reply by roush699 on July 2, 2009 at 3:12pm

I agree with you on NASCAR in this matter, I have my suspicions (no black helicopters please) about whether the collection procedure and the testing was done properly, since we don't know who did the collecting (did B. France or a flunkie just give JM a bottle and tell him to pee in it and give it back or did a qualified tech oversee the process?) , the paperwork has to be in order and beyond a shadow of a doubt the specimen(s) must be positively identified as belonging to JM. That's just one piece of the puzzle that has to have all the components fitting or there is a taint on the whole thing. I know my employer (who used to do drug testing onsite) would never let us tell them if we were taking any type of medication at the time of collection, they always wanted to wait to see if we had a positive first. As long as Bill Diehl has done his due diligence, JM has a real chance of coming out on top.

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Permalink Reply by roush699 on July 3, 2009 at 12:09pm

and the form doesn't always have standard questions asking for what you are taking. The DOT forms I have seen and filled out don't ask any question of that sort.

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Permalink Reply by Blues on July 2, 2009 at 10:31pm

Look, if Mayfield was a habitual meth user, his teeth would be fucked up. Period, end of story. Know any meth heads? If they're using, it's SO obvious. I've never seen Jeremy up close and personal, but from close ups on TV, I seriously doubt the meth deal. I'm sure that judge has seen plenty, and I'm sure he took some close looks at JM.
Now, the argument that taking some forms of legal over the counter stuff screws you up so much you shouldn't race, I'll go along with that for sure. Also, if a driver drinks all the time, or goes out and gets hammered the night before the race, that's just as bad or worse, and Nascar should take that just as seriously - but that will NEVER happen.. So, does Waltrip get in the 5 car by mistake sometimes?

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Permalink Reply by Bigzoom on July 2, 2009 at 11:00pm

Kasey Kahne, a former teammate, said, "I really don't know how Jeremy got out of this," referring to a positive test on May 1.

"Everybody out here wants to race hard and race clean. If people are up to other things, they should go do those things by themselves and not be on a racetrack going 200 mph with other racers."

NASCAR, which said the drug in question was methamphetamines, suspended Mayfield indefinitely. Mayfield says he took a decongestant and medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Ryan Newman said he would consider his safety and Mayfield's competence if they raced near each other.

"As a federal judge, when you release somebody to go back and do that without necessarily, in my eyes, clarifying everything, that's not cool," he said. "People make mistakes. I just hope the judge didn't make one."

Carl Edwards' reluctance to comment — "I think speculation is damaging for everyone," he said — was the closest to support for Mayfield, who said he recently laid off 10 employees and is using personal assets to keep his team running.

Four car owners — Tommy Baldwin, Larry Gunselman, Joe Nemechek and Phil Parsons — told the Associated Press they would not put Mayfield in a car this weekend if he came looking to drive.

"Whether he's right or wrong … right now, he's marked," Baldwin said. "And that's going to hurt him probably for the rest of his career."

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Permalink Reply by Wheaton56 on July 2, 2009 at 11:47pm

i known this is wrong to say but here i go.

What a bunch of pussys,

there are drunk people drinving on the streets everyday....... YOU take a chance dont you.
there are speed addicts on the streets driving everyday.......Are you reporting to the news your afraid to drive cuz someone out there MIGHT be on speed

I, yes I have known meth heads and have known of some people who do meth on a regular basis, you would never know what they do and they perform their jobs very normaly. Its the F'ed world we live in but see the real world for what it is...sad but true

im not saying JM is a meth head, but he isnt such a high risk as everyone says he is.....Like no body has had a perkeset, motrin, or any OTC drug and gone about your buisness

what? no one is worried about the drivers who drink during the week????
Nascars dring test is a good thing, but they need to be more uniform like other companies doing the testing around our country.

so what, Carl Edwards never took some claritin the day of the race......and maybe a tylonol.
Im no drug expect...and its obvious nascar isnt either

Fire away