Working On My Redneck ™ » jeremy mayfield

The 2009 Soap Opera Awards

Leon — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:43:06 +0000

(photo courtesy Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

This is the second installment of the 2009 year in review, only this is the the lighter or crazier side of 2009.

New teams emerge:

With the economy being somewhat sour, this year afforded some businessmen/drivers the opportunity to form their own race teams. Front Row Motorsports hooked up with John Andretti as a driver and linked themselves to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s #8 team for points. With that link to EGR they were in the top 35 in points to start the 2009 season, and thus were locked into the starting grid for the first five races of the 2009 season.

Tommy Baldwin, formerly the crew chief for Bill Davis Racing, struck out on his own to form his team and made many races with several drivers behind the wheel of the Tommy Baldwin Racing #37 Toyota.

Joe Nemechek, finding himself without a ride for the 2009 season, took this opportunity to buy some used Cup cars and re-ignite his Nationwide team as well. So 2009 saw Nemco back into the business for fielding race cars for Joe in both the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series.

A Rock Star Wannabe!

Lest we not forget ol Kylie Busch’s rather futile attempt at imitating Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend of The Who. It appeared that THE LAS VEGAS WEASEL (aka ol Kylie Busch), thought that he would deliver to the race fans a flashback to the 70′s! After winning the race in Nashville and receiving the coveted Sam Bass custom designed guitar in Victory circle,”The Buschwhacker” proceeded to try, somewhat in vein, to smash the guitar into smithereens like Townsend and Daltry used to do at the end of their concerts. This act was very “Busch” league!

Drugs came to NASCAR:

But the biggest story that was to unfold in the 2009 season was that of Jeremy Mayfield. He too was able to put funds together to start his own race team, after not being in the cockpit for over a year. He was basking in the “glory” of owner/driver when his world abruptly collapsed all around him. Mayfield failed a random drug test administered to him by NASCAR. As the soap opera unfolded over the ensuing weeks, it was learned that his drug test came up positive for Methamphetamine usage. Mayfield has vehemently denounced those drug tests as being grossly in error!

Therein ensued a legal battle/soap opera the likes that no professional sport has seen in recent history. The mud was slinging like a wheel packing session prior to a good dirt track race at Eldora Raceway! It even got Mayfield’s step-mother involved hurling accusations at Jeremy about his alleged drug usage! The latest update is that Mayfield’s attorney has filed a suit for unpaid legal fees due him totaling more that $300,000.00! (The attorney charges $1,000.00 per hour!!!) It looks like the Jeremy Mayfield saga is headed down the “HIGHWAY TO HELL”!

These are just a few of the more memorable storylines that captured our attention over the 2009 NASCAR race season.

What was your favorite “news story” from the 2009 season?

TIL NEXT TIME I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

The Mayfield Saga Continues

Leon — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:58:41 +0000

(photo from racintoday.com)

The saga continues for Jeremy Mayfield. Just when you thought that maybe this story was going to subside, NASCAR says he has failed another drug test for meth! This drama just continues to raise questions, that at times defy all logic!

Wouldn’t it seem illogical that Jeremy Mayfield would continue to use drugs knowing that he is the most scrutinized race car driver in decades? Now NASCAR has paraded out Mayfield’s estranged step-mother, Lisa Mayfield, to testify under oath that she has witnessed Jeremy Mayfield using meth approximately 30 times from 1998-2005.

She has stated that she has seen Mayfield cook his own meth at his race shop in Mooresville, N.C. She went on to state that once the ingredients got too expensive to make meth himself, Mayfield bought his drugs from a drug dealer! Who was the dealer or dealers?

So for seven years Lisa Mayfield witnessed her step-son using meth, endangering his life and all the others that he raced against. All the while keeping her mouth shut, never reporting that fact to the authorities and NASCAR! She even testified that she witnessed Mayfield use meth prior to racing at Darlington in that same time period! For seven years she never sought help for her step-son? For seven years she never coordinated an intervention with the rest of the family? For seven years this occurred and nothing, no outrage, no intervention, no call to the authorities, no call to NASCAR! I am having a very difficult time understanding this, especially from family!

Lisa Mayfield said that she witnessed his drug abuse from 1998-2005, but what happened since 2005? Why did it take so long for her conscience to erupt and come forward? What caused her to speak out just when NASCAR needed a star witness? While under oath she comes forward to say that others also witnessed his drug abuse as well, why not name those names? How did she know that Jeremy Mayfield was buying meth?

Again it defies all logic how this story is unfolding to the public! Why did Lisa Mayfield wait so long to divulge this information? It just doesn’t seem to logical! This story is starting to have a funny smell to it!

If Mayfield is longtime meth user, it defies the picture that is out in the public of a user being an emaciated, bad toothed, deathly looking individual. That is not the current picture of Jeremy Mayfield, witness the photo above! That picture is a picture of a very healthy viral race car driver. Again I say that this story is defying all prevailing logic!

This whole Jeremy Mayfield failed drug test, estranged step-mother blowing the whistle, convoluted story smells to high-heaven! What do you think?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

Mayfield Suspension Lifted By Federal Judge

Leon — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:24:47 +0000

(photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

According to Kasey Kahne NASCAR has changed its drug testing policy. What started out at the beginning of the season as a 5-10 minute process, is now about a 40 minute very detailed, carefully monitored procedure. “When I went in (for the drug test) at the start of the year, it was go in, take your sample, sign your name and basically walk out”, Kanhe said. “You watch them pour your “A” and “B” sample into different capsules, you sign your name and leave. It was a 5-10 minute process.”

“Now it’s every step, you have to initial every step through the whole process. It takes about 40 minutes it seemed. I think that it is just a process now that they’ve (NASCAR) put into it. There’s more into the process”, Kahne relayed.

NASCAR suspended Jeremy Mayfield on May, claiming that he had tested positive for methamphetamine. Mayfield insistede that he never used the drug and disputed the accuracy of NASCAR’s test results. If NASCAR decided that a more extensive test process is in order, that could be a positive for Mayfield in his ongoing legal battle. Mayfield claims that he is an innocent victim of a flawed test. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued a temporary order lifting the indefinite suspension.

Some of the Cup drivers have voiced their opinions on this issue. Several have said that Mayfield will always be ”tainted” by this ordeal and that it will be impossible for him to compete in this sport.

What is your thoughts on the Mayfield indefinite suspension case?

TILL NEXT TIME, I AM WORKING ON MY REDNECK