Jeremy Mayfield
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Jeremy Allen Mayfield (born May 27, 1969) is an American
stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
driver. He drove cars for the Sadler brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss,
Roger Penske Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American businessman and entrepreneur involved in professional auto racing and a retired professional auto racing driver. He is most famous for his ownership of Team Penske, DJR Team Penske, t ...
,
Ray Evernham Raymond Donald Evernham Jr. (born August 26, 1957) is an American consultant for Hendrick Companies, formerly an auto racing crew chief for Bill Davis Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, owner of his own team Evernham Motorsports from 2001 to 2 ...
,
Bill Davis William Grenville Davis, (July 30, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was a Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the member of provincial Parliament for Peel in the 1959 provincia ...
, and
Gene Haas Eugene Francis Haas (born November 12, 1952) is the American founder, president, and sole stockholder of Haas Automation, a CNC machine tool manufacturer. He also has a presence in motorsports, having founded NASCAR team Haas CNC Racing (now kn ...
. In 2009, he drove for his own team, Mayfield Motorsports. On May 9, 2009, Mayfield was suspended indefinitely as both owner and driver by NASCAR following what NASCAR said was a positive test for
methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...
. A federal judge weighed the evidence and temporarily lifted the suspension on July 1, 2009. On July 15, 2009, NASCAR said Mayfield had for the second time tested positive for methamphetamine after failing a random drug test on July 6. On July 24, a federal appeals court overturned the previous injunction Mayfield had been awarded, leaving him suspended from the sport.


Racing career


Beginnings

Mayfield began racing in his hometown of
Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...
, racing BMX bicycles. He then proceeded to race go-karts at local Short tracks; moving to
Nashville Speedway USA Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is a motorsport racetrack located at the Nashville Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is the second-oldest continually operating track in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand Nati ...
at the age of 19. He soon went to work for
Sadler Brothers Racing Sadler may refer to: * Sadler (surname), people with the surname ''Sadler'' * James Sadler and Sons Ltd English pottery manufacturer * Sadler, Kentucky, United States; an unincorporated community * Sadler, Texas, United States; a city * Sadler rep ...
as a fabricator, and became their driver, winning Late Model Rookie of the Year at Kentucky Motor Speedway in 1987. In 1993, he joined the
ARCA series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car racing, stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into ...
, and was named Rookie of the Year.


NASCAR

Mayfield made his Cup debut in the
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
Mello Yello 500 The Bank of America Roval 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race that is held annually at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, United States, with the other one being the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, the race. As of the 201 ...
; starting 30th and finishing 29th in the No. 95 Earl Sadler-owned
Ford Thunderbird The Ford Thunderbird (colloquially called the T-Bird) is a personal luxury car produced by Ford from model years 1955 until 1997 and 2002 until 2005 across 11 distinct generations. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was pro ...
. In
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, Mayfield declared he would run for NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and signed to drive the Sadler Brothers' No. 95 Ford. He resumed his role as that team's sheetmetal man in 1995, and signed to drive the No. 02 for T.W. Taylor, for four races before completing the year in the No. 98
Fingerhut Fingerhut is an American catalog/online retailer. Fingerhut was founded in 1948 by William Fingerhut and his brother Manny, selling automobile seat covers. In 1952, the business repositioned itself as a mail order catalog company and diversifie ...
-sponsored
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
for Cale Yarborough. He ran 20 starts in his inaugural season, his best finish a 19th at Rockingham. In
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
, he stayed with Yarborough full-time, and had an eighth-place run at the Miller Genuine Draft 500, with a 31st-place finish in the points standings after qualifying for 27 out of 31 races. The next season, he had two top-fives and earned his first career pole at the DieHard 500 Later that season, he and
John Andretti John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. He was the son of Aldo Andretti, older brother of racer Ada ...
of the No. 37 Ford owned by Michael Kranefuss and
Carl Haas Carl A. Haas (February 26, 1929 – June 29, 2016) was an American auto racing impresario. He co-owned the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team in the Champ Car and IndyCar Series with Paul Newman and Mike Lanigan. He also owned Carl A. Haas Mo ...
, negotiated to begin their next year's contracts (in each other's then rides) early. Mayfield ended the year 26th in points. Mayfield formally joined the Kranefuss-Haas team in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
. He had eight top tens, including two fifth-place runs, and finished a then career-high 13th place in points. After the season, Carl Haas' interests in the team were sold to
Penske Racing South Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the organiza ...
, and the team's identity was changed, with a new number (No. 12). Mayfield took the points lead early in the season, and won his first career race at the
Pocono 500 The Pocono Organics CBD 325 was a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway, with the other being the Pocono 350, held th ...
. At the end of the season, he ranked a career best seventh in the point standings, with 1 win, 12 top five finishes, 16 top 10 finishes, and a pole. In
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, he dropped four spots in the standings, despite twelve top-tens. In
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, he won four poles and two races. Mayfield's 3rd Cup series win and his 2nd of 2000 is probably the most famous of all his wins, as he bumped
Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...
out of the lead in the last turn and then used Earnhardt's famous "Rattle his cage" line against Earnhardt in victory lane. One of the poles, however, was at the DieHard 500, and the car was found to have violated the rules and penalties resulted in the team earning -25 points from the race (his 126 points, earned by finishing 14th and leading a lap, were offset by the 151-point penalty NASCAR handed down). Later, while practicing for the
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 was an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Moto ...
, he crashed hard into the wall. He suffered a
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
and was forced to miss the next two races. He finished 24th in points that season as a result of also having eleven DNFs (including six in a row). He began
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
with two consecutive third-place finishes, but was released after the
Protection One 400 The Hollywood Casino 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car racing, stock car race held at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. This race is the second of ten races in the NASCAR playoffs, Cup Series playoffs; since 2022, it is the second race ...
. Rumors circulated around the garage that he had burned bridges with
Roger Penske Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American businessman and entrepreneur involved in professional auto racing and a retired professional auto racing driver. He is most famous for his ownership of Team Penske, DJR Team Penske, t ...
in order to sign a new deal with
Ray Evernham Raymond Donald Evernham Jr. (born August 26, 1957) is an American consultant for Hendrick Companies, formerly an auto racing crew chief for Bill Davis Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, owner of his own team Evernham Motorsports from 2001 to 2 ...
's team.
Rusty Wallace Russell William "Rusty" Wallace Jr. (born August 14, 1956) is an American former NASCAR racing driver. He has won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Over the course of his successful care ...
added the next year, that he did not see head to head with Jeremy Mayfield as teammates and that they feuded several times. He later provided Jeremy Mayfield with a driving contract in Wallace's lower-tier team in 2005 as a sign of his regret. In
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Mayfield signed to
Evernham Motorsports Evernham Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing organization that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2000 by former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Ray Evernham, entering full-time competition as a two-c ...
, replacing Casey Atwood. In his first year, Mayfield had four top-tens and finished 26th in points. He improved in
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, winning the pole at the
Aaron's 499 The GEICO 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race is usually held in April or May. The 1997 event stands as the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run with an average speed of ...
and posting 12 top-tens, finishing nineteenth in points. In
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Mayfield returned to victory lane at the
Chevy Rock and Roll 400 The Federated Auto Parts 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, being the second of two races at the track with the first one being the Toyota Owners 400 in the spring. As of 202 ...
to move his team into the ninth spot in the inaugural
Chase for the Cup The NASCAR playoffs is a championship playoff system used in NASCAR's three national series. The system was founded as 'The Chase for the Championship' on January 21, 2004, and was used exclusively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2004 to 2015. Si ...
, and finished tenth in points. For a while, winning a race to get into the Chase was referred by the moniker "pulling a Jeremy Mayfield." In
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, he won the
GFS Marketplace 400 The NASCAR Cup Series has held stock car races annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. Traditionally, the track held two Cup Series races, one in June, around Father's Day weekend and another in August. Th ...
, and finished ninth in the standings. In August 2006 he was released from Evernham (see below). Evernham used
Bill Elliott William Clyde Elliott (born October 8, 1955), also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, Million Dollar Bill, or Wild Bill is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He competes full time in the Camping World Superstar Racing ...
and then
Elliott Sadler Elliott William Barnes Sadler (born April 30, 1975) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 dr ...
for the remainder of the season. Mayfield signed a contract with
Bill Davis Racing Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009. The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in the Camping World Truck Series ( Toyota Tundra) since 2004 and Sprint Cup Series (T ...
for
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, driving the No. 36
Toyota Camry The Toyota Camry (; Japanese: トヨタ・カムリ ''Toyota Kamuri'') is an automobile sold internationally by the Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota since 1982, spanning multiple generations. Originally compact in size (narrow-body), the Camry ...
. He ran a total of 13 races for Bill Davis Racing in 32 attempts with a best finish of 22nd at
Kansas Speedway Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in the Village West area near Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It was built in 2001 and it currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also held races at the venue until 2011 ...
. In August 2007, it was announced that Mayfield and Davis would part ways at the end of the season. Later in the season, he would take over driving the No. 66 car for
Haas CNC Racing Stewart-Haas Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The team is co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champio ...
(then wholly owned by Gene Haas, no relation to Carl Haas, above) starting with Atlanta 2007. Late in 2007, he and teammate
Scott Riggs Russell Scott Riggs (born January 1, 1971) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the 92 for RBR Enterprises in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Racing career Early career Riggs was born in Bahama, Nort ...
would switch rides putting Mayfield in the No. 70 car (later to become the Stewart-Haas No. 14 car) at the beginning the 2008 season. Mayfield completed seven races in the No. 70 with a best finish of sixteenth before he was released from the team. After July 9, 2008, Tony Stewart was able to announce his purchase into the Haas CNC team and the lineup of drivers to replace Riggs and Mayfield. Mayfield would complete one additional race at Dover in the No. 40 Dodge, filling in for the injured
Dario Franchitti George Dario Marino Franchitti, MBE (born 19 May 1973) is a British former racing driver and current motorsport commentator from Scotland. He is a four time IndyCar Series champion ( 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011), a three-time winner of the Indiana ...
. He would start tenth and finish twenty-fifth. After failing to get a ride for the 2009 season, on January 19, 2009, Mayfield and his wife announced that he started his own team, Mayfield Motorsports. Mayfield would attempt the full season in a self-owned Toyota, using the number 41 (the number and owner points was purchased from
Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA WeatherTech ...
) and borrowing the Evernham-style of numbering. He raced his way into the Daytona 500 successfully. After ten races in the 2009 season, Mayfield qualified for just five. He was then embroiled in a substance abuse dispute that, for all intents and purposes, ended his NASCAR career. By July 2009, Mayfield had sold his race team and operations due to lack of sponsorship, and all members of the race team either resigned or were laid off. During his NASCAR career, Mayfield had 36 career
Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
starts. He had five top tens, his best finish being a fourth at Rockingham in
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
. He also had three
Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
starts, with a best finish of 6th at the
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
Hardee's 200 for
Green Light Racing SS-Green Light Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fielding the No. 07 Ford primarily for Joe Graf Jr. and the No. 08 for primarily for David Starr. They also have a tec ...
. After his release from Evernham in 2006, he drove for
Billy Ballew Motorsports Billy Ballew Motorsports was a team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. They were formed in 1996 by Georgia businessman Billy Ballew. Fasscore Motorsports In 2003, Ballew began running a second truck under the name Fasscor ...
in a pair of truck races.


Life after NASCAR

Mayfield was working as a delivery person while waiting for word on his appeals. By 2011, tax officials in
Catawba County, North Carolina Catawba County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,610. Its county seat is Newton, and its largest city is Hickory. The county is part of the Hickory–Lenoir– Morganton, NC Metropo ...
were on the verge of foreclosing on Mayfield's 388-acre spread there because he owed $82,000 in back taxes. In 2012, Mayfield was evicted from his home and was planned to drive in the ARCA series for
Carter 2 Motorsports Roger Carter II (born October 23, 1969) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner who competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series driving the No. 03 Ford for Clubb Racing Inc. Racing career Carter would attempt to ma ...
, although this deal fell through. On January 6, 2014, Mayfield was convicted on two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count for possessing stolen items, receiving 18 months of unsupervised probation, and was ordered to pay $88,124.41, adding an extra $1,100 in court costs. Mayfield currently races in the KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Tour, making his debut in the series' inaugural race at
Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". The tr ...
. In May 2014, Mayfield released a video, titled ''The Mayfield Story'', to explain the substance abuse controversy from his point of view. In July 2014, Mayfield returned to organized racing competition, driving in a Pro Cup Series event at Tri-County Motor Speedway and finishing seventh of the ten cars that started. On September 29, 2014, Mayfield announced he would compete full-time in dirt and Super Late Model racing for 2015. On October 8, 2014, Mayfield started a Dirt Late Model team with plans to compete full-time in the
World of Outlaws The World of Outlaws (often abbreviated WoO) is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late ...
, with Mayfield as driver of the J2 car and Aaron Thomas as owner; former
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
president
Humpy Wheeler Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler (born October 23, 1938) is the former President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of the premier auto racing venues owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Better known as H.A. or ...
is an assistant for Mayfield. He currently competes around the northwest of the state of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
at local dirt tracks. He earned his first career Late Model win on November 26, 2018, at Lavonia Speedway, which was his first race win in any division of motorsports, since his final Cup victory of his racing career in 2005. Afterwards, an emotional Mayfield called it the "biggest win of my life." “It feels great to get these guys into victory lane,” said Mayfield afterwards. “We’ve come close several times, and finally we get to snap that win drought. These guys put a great car under me today, and I couldn’t be happier.” As of 2020, Mayfield has mended his bridges with Ray Evernham and has shown an interest as a possible participant in the
Superstar Racing Experience Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), officially known as the Camping World SRX Series, is an American stock car racing series founded by Tony Stewart, Ray Evernham, Sandy Montag and George Pyne. The formation of the series was announced on July 13, ...
(SRX) series created by Evernham and
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
.


Personal life

He currently lives in
Denver, North Carolina Denver, formerly known as Dry Pond, is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 2,309. Known as “Dry Pond” until 1873, it was rena ...
.


Controversies


Release from Evernham Motorsports

On August 8, 2006, Mayfield learned through NASCAR.com that he was not placed onto the entry list for Watkins Glen, instead replaced by former Evernham driver
Bill Elliott William Clyde Elliott (born October 8, 1955), also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, Million Dollar Bill, or Wild Bill is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He competes full time in the Camping World Superstar Racing ...
. The No. 19 team falling out of the top 35 in points was initially given as the reason for Mayfield's release. Evernham later confirmed that Mayfield had been released from his contract after making comments about Evernham not being at the track often. Mayfield later stated that the problems with the 19 car stemmed from lack of attention from the team owner due to a "close personal relationship" with developmental driver Erin Crocker. Mayfield stated that Evernham was not with the Cup cars most weeks because of the extensive attention that he was giving Crocker and her No. 98 truck team. Evernham later admitted that he was seriously involved in an affair with Crocker, whom he married in 2009.


Substance abuse violation

On May 9, 2009, Mayfield was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy. Owing to NASCAR policy, Dr. David Black, whose company (Aegis Sciences Corporation) oversees NASCAR's testing program, refused to specify the substance for which Mayfield tested positive, instead saying it was "a drug of concern." Mayfield stated: "I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over the counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test. My doctor and I are working with both NASCAR consultant Dr. David Black and NASCAR to resolve this matter." Dr. Black disputed Mayfield's claims, stating: "What we have is a clear violation of policy. In my many years of experience, I have never seen a violation like this due to the combination of over-the-counter or prescription products." However, the week after his suspension, Mayfield stated that he had only taken two tablets of Claritin-D and the prescription drug
Adderall Adderall and Mydayis are trade names for a combination drug called mixed amphetamine salts containing four salts of amphetamine. The mixture is composed of equal parts racemic amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which produces a (3:1) ratio bet ...
, which he stated was prescribed to assist his
attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise Development ...
, and that he had never used any sort of illegal drug. His wife, family, friends, fans, crew chief and other team members, drug store receipts, and signed prescription from his care provider backed these claims. Afterwards, criticism of NASCAR's testing policy became rampant, and several suggested that NASCAR's secrecy over Mayfield's results was politically motivated, so as to not smear the reputation of
Claritin Loratadine, sold under the brand name Claritin among others, is a medication used to treat allergies. This includes allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and hives. It is also available in combination with pseudoephedrine, a decongestant, known as lo ...
, who was a sponsor of
Carl Edwards Carl Michael Edwards II (born August 15, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Prior to that, he drove the No. 9 ...
and ''
NASCAR on Fox ''NASCAR on Fox'', also known as ''Fox NASCAR'', is the branding used for broadcasts of NASCAR races produced by Fox Sports and have aired on the Fox television network in the United States since 2001. Speed, a motorsports-focused cable channel ...
'' at the time. For the
Coca-Cola 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...
and
Sprint All-Star Race The NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston from 1985 to 2003, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, the Sprint All-Star Race from 2008 to 2016, and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race from 2017 to 2019, is an annual NAS ...
Mayfield Motorsports named former Hall of Fame Racing team driver
J. J. Yeley Christopher Beltram Hernandez "J. J." Yeley (born October 5, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the Nos. 13 and 66 cars for MBM Motorsports and part-time in ...
as interim driver and Jeremy's wife Shana as the interim owner. On June 9, 2009, ESPN.com stated that during the random drug screening on May 1 at Richmond International Raceway, Mayfield tested positive for
methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...
. A doctor from Florida stated that it was impossible for Mayfield to use the levels of methamphetamine NASCAR claimed he did, or else he would be dead or a chronic user. According to another medical professional in Central Florida, the combination of medications cited by Mayfield has a 15% chance of a false positive being obtained. On July 1, 2009, US District Court Judge Graham Mullen granted a temporary injunction, lifting Mayfield's suspension. Mullen concluded that the "likelihood of a false positive in this case is quite substantial." In granting the injunction, Mullen ruled that the "harm to Mr. Mayfield significantly outweighs the harm to NASCAR". Even with the injunction, Mayfield was forced to sit out the
Coke Zero 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series c ...
and
LifeLock.com 400 The Camping World 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series stock car racing, stock car race held annually at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, Joliet, Illinois, from 2001 to 2019. Previously, the race was held in July from 2001 through 2010, with nig ...
for want of a sponsor. On July 15, 2009, NASCAR stated that Mayfield had again tested positive for methamphetamine during testing conducted outside of a NASCAR event, at and by entering Jeremy Mayfield's home on July 6, five days after his suspension was lifted. Mayfield continued to deny ever using the drug, and to account for the results by proper use of the OTC drug Claritin D combined with prescription treatment including Adderall. Additionally, Mayfield took a drug test 40 minutes after NASCAR's, this time administered by and at a certified drug-testing laboratory not affiliated with NASCAR, and it was negative. Lisa Mayfield, the widow of Jeremy Mayfield's father, stated that she was his mother and had seen him use methamphetamines many times since 1998. Jeremy Mayfield rejected these allegations; refuting statements cited the inability for Lisa to have adopted an adult, and adoption being a condition for the claimed relationship. Lisa Mayfield later trespassed on Jeremy's property and assaulted persons whom she found there, resulting in the arrest of Lisa Mayfield. The disputes were settled out of court, and Lisa Mayfield withdrew her claims concerning Jeremy Mayfield. A federal appeals court reversed Mayfield's injunction on July 24, 2009. On May 18, 2010, Mullen threw out Mayfield's suit, saying that Mayfield waived his right to sue NASCAR for defamation, when he agreed to take part in NASCAR events. Accounts and documents submitted for the case between the two dates, are public record and can be found on PACER. Mayfield could theoretically return to NASCAR if he completes NASCAR's "Road to Recovery" treatment program and submits to drug testing with a non-WADA-approved lab belonging to Black, the only lab accepted by NASCAR at the time (NASCAR has since replaced their approved drug testing lab in 2017). On the January 8, 2013 episode of the MRN radio show ''NASCAR Live'', hosted by Eli Gold, then-NASCAR CEO
Brian France Brian Zachary France (born August 2, 1962) is an American businessman and the former CEO and chairman of NASCAR. He served in the post from 2003 to 2018, following his grandfather (and NASCAR co-founder) Bill France Sr. and father Bill Jr., in t ...
alluded to other options (in addition to the documented "Road to Recovery" plan) that had previously been discussed outside of public knowledge, when Mayfield reached him; these options were not clarified publicly. On the show France continued with statements that Mayfield must follow examples of other re-instated drivers that, as of June 28, 2016, are not participants in NASCAR. Mayfield is adamant about his innocence from NASCAR's charges. In an interview with ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' in 2014, Mayfield said he was willing to take a drug test "as long as I can pee in a cup for
LabCorp Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, more commonly known as Labcorp, is an American healthcare company headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina. It operates one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the world, with a United St ...
or some other credible lab."


Dog attack

On April 22, 2011, five dogs owned by Mayfield attacked a mail carrier who drove through the entrance gate past "Beware of Dogs" signs to deliver a package too large for the roadside mailbox. She received several scratches and bite marks on her legs. The dogs were immediately taken, then euthanized. On May 10, 2012, Mayfield was ordered to pay $1 million in the lawsuit of the dog attacks after failing to respond to a lawsuit.


2011 arrest

On November 1, 2011, sheriff's deputies searched Mayfield's home in
Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other N ...
based on an informant's statement that Mayfield and four accomplices were staging burglaries to support Mayfield's methamphetamine habit. Mayfield was taken into custody after deputies claimed to find 1.5 grams of meth residue on a plastic bag in a gun safe. Authorities later found $100,000 worth of stolen goods on a little-used area of Mayfield's property. Among the recovered items were heavy machinery that had been reported stolen from two businesses in neighboring Lincoln County in late 2010 and early 2011, as well as audiovisual equipment that was later reported stolen from the then-defunct
Red Bull Racing Team Red Bull Racing Team, also known as Team Red Bull, was a NASCAR team owned by Red Bull founders Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya. The team was based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Mooresville, North Carolina in the United States and was ...
in nearby Mooresville in February 2011. The informant whose statement led to the original search, died with his passenger in 2012 in a motorcycle crash while evading police pursuit in the jurisdiction of a different law enforcement agency. Almost all the charges were eventually dropped or thrown out, with Mayfield pleading to two counts of misdemeanor possession of stolen property and one count possession of drug paraphernalia in 2014.


In popular media

Mayfield is featured in the video for " Drowning (Face Down)" by the band
Saving Abel Saving Abel is an American rock band from Corinth, Mississippi, founded in 2004 by Jared Weeks and Jason Null. The band is named after the biblical story of Cain and Abel, in which a man named Cain kills his brother Abel. Band member Jason Null ...
. He was also featured in
Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...
's 1997 music video "
Who's Cheatin' Who "Who's Cheatin' Who" is a country music song written by Jerry Hayes and initially recorded by Charly McClain. It was the title track of her 1980 album for Epic Records, released in November 1980 as a single with "Love Scenes" on the B-side, and ...
". And, in 2004, Mayfield participated in a ''
Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...
'' NASCAR special, hosted by then-host
Richard Karn Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...
. In the special, Mayfield and his Evernham team faced off against
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champio ...
on behalf of both drivers' foundations, with Mayfield and his team winning the game.


Motorsports career results


NASCAR

(
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)


Sprint Cup Series


=Daytona 500

=


Busch Series


Craftsman Truck Series


ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series

(
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)


See also

*
List of NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race drivers The following drivers competed in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1985, 1987–2019), Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986), Bristol Motor Speedway (2020), and Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in t ...
*
List of people from Kentucky The following list contains persons of note who were born, raised, or spent portions of their lives in the American Commonwealth of Kentucky. Authors and journalists Explorers, pioneers, and military personnel Film, radio, and televisi ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayfield, Jeremy 1969 births Living people American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in auto racing NASCAR controversies NASCAR drivers Sportspeople from Owensboro, Kentucky Racing drivers from Kentucky People from Catawba, North Carolina NASCAR team owners Team Penske drivers Evernham Motorsports drivers Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Chip Ganassi Racing drivers