Stop the Mayfield madness

By Mike Smith (contact)

Thursday, July 16, 2009 | 3:01 p.m.

When Mayfield issued his initial denials regarding a positive drug test, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even though his story seemed to be as thin as flypaper, I considered it possible that a drug test could produce a false positive. But as the revelations from the Mayfield camp became increasingly wild, I became convinced that his level of denial was approaching Michael Jacksonesque proportions.

On July 6th Mayfield was late in submitting to a drug test. He claimed he couldn’t find the lab. Hadn’t he heard of MapQuest? Did he forget how to use his cell phone? Wasn’t there a gas station in the area were he could get directions? Wouldn’t anyone under such a massive, dark cloud of suspicion bend over backwards to appear conscientious, especially when there was so much at stake? Eventually, Mayfield went to a lab suggested by his lawyer and NASCAR got a sample later, after visiting Mayfield at home.

The July 6th test of the sample taken at Mayfield’s home was positive. In addition, NASCAR has stated in its court filings that the July 6th sample was diluted by a high consumption of water in an attempt to defeat the results of the test. Mayfield’s lawyer claims that another test at a lab chosen by the lawyer was negative.

NASCAR wants a second test using a so-called B sample from July 6th to be analyzed to determine if the prescriptions drugs and the over-the-counter drugs Mayfield claims he was using were in his system. But NASCAR insists that Mayfield’s lawyers want to use a lab that can’t perform one of these tests. What are Mayfield's lawyers afraid of?

Now Mayfield is also claiming that an affidavit given by his stepmom, which chronicles Jeremy’s drug use, was bought and paid for by NASCAR. What’s next, Mayfield claiming that NASCAR has black helicopters watching his every move?

There seems to be no restrictor plate on the number of excuses Mayfield and Co. will come up with to try to deflect attention away from Mayfield and onto NASCAR.

Let’s hope the courts can make quick sense of this so that we can all get back to talking about events on the track.

Cartoon caption contest on NASCAR's drug testing.

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