Jeremy Mayfield and a River in Egypt

Although I’m not as big a NASCAR fan as I once was, I do enjoy watching the races from time to time – mostly preferring the short-tracks like Bristol and Martinsville and Dover rather than the super-speedways like Talladega or Daytona (although I do have an affinity for Darlington in the superspeedway department, how cool is it to race on an egg-shaped track?).

That being said, I used to enjoy watching driver Jeremy Mayfield.  He wasn’t the best driver on the circuit, he wasn’t the flashiest driver, but he was one of those drivers that wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind – even if it meant angering his sponsors or his car owners.   He used to drive the #12 Mobil car as part of a two-man Ford team with Rusty Wallace, and eventually moved to Ray Evernham’s Dodge team.  He won a few races – at least five, if I recall correctly –  and actually got into the NASCAR “Chase for the Championship” one year by garnering an improbable win on the final day of the regular season, taking the checkered flag at Richmond International Raceway.

But since then, it’s been one drama after another for Mayfield.  He was released from Evernham’s team – mostly because he mentioned to the press that Evernham wasn’t paying attention to Mayfield’s team  because Evernham was having an off-the-track relationship with Erin Crocker, one of Evernham’s drivers in a NASCAR developmental circuit.  Mayfield started his own race team in 2009, but only qualified for five of the first ten races of the year.

And then NASCAR suspended him for his failure of a drug test.

You’re saying to yourself, “Big deal, he flunked a drug test.  Name me one sport where someone hasn’t flunked a drug test.”

True.  But do you really want to be racing side-by-side, three-wide going around the third turn at Pocono when one of the drivers alongside you might be buzzed on crystal meth?  This is a sport whose drivers have to maintain either as squeaky-clean an image as possible (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards) or as tough-as-nails, four-on-the-floor, drive-it-like-ya-stole-it (Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch).

Besides, do you think NASCAR wants any of its sponsors – who spend upwards of $20 million a year to put their logo on their driver’s car hood each season – wants their products associated in any way with drug abuse?

Mayfield has argued his suspension, claiming that the test administered provided a “false positive” because he takes Adderall for attention deficit disorder, and that it might have been mixed with a couple of Claritin-D pills he took to countermand an allergy.

Then the denials came faster than a Paul Menard pit stop.   He fought the NASCAR suspension and it was lifted, allowing him to race again.  A month later, however, Mayfield again tested positive for meth.

Things didn’t get better.  In fact, as far as NASCAR’s image-conscious personae was concerned, it got WAY worse.  Mayfield’s stepmother told as many reporters as she could that her stepson had abused methamphetamine for over ten years.  That turned into a public relations battle between Mayfield and his stepmother.  Eventually Mayfield sold his race team, and tried to rebuild his public image in any way possible.

Then came the news last Tuesday.  According to television station WBTV, Jeremy Mayfield, who hasn’t raced in any of NASCAR’s circuits for the past two years, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.  Officers executed a search warrant in Mayfield’s home, and found 1 1/2 grams of meth, 40 guns, and over $100,000 worth of stolen property.

Mayfield’s argument? According to the NASCAR online website Scene Daily, Mayfield released a statement through his attorney. “Mr. Mayfield has no knowledge of either stolen property or methamphetamine being present on his property and denies the accusation that he was in possession of methamphetamine or any other illegal drug and he denies any suggestion that he knowingly received or possessed stolen property.”

In other words, denial of knowledge of any stolen goods on his property.

Denial of the knowledge of baggies of meth on his property.

Denial of the fact that he got arrested because this stuff was found ON HIS PROPERTY.

Still in denial of his testing positive for methamphetamine, which effectively ended his NASCAR career.

Denial, denial, denial.

Sorry, Jeremy Mayfield, you can claim violation, you can cry for vindication, but the truth of the matter is, all your tears right now won’t fill a thimble.  And all your denials won’t equate to a river in Egypt.