tom_jensen's avatar
Author:
Tom Jensen
Login For More
Rate this article:
  • 0/5 Stars
  • Related Photos
  • Related Videos
SPEEDtv.com Store
Legendary Race Cars, by Basem Wasef
Through vivid, human detail, writer and photographer Basem Wasef brings to life more than two dozen racing legends.
Our Price: $35.00
Visit Button
Buy Button
Man-Made Thunder
The book examines the sport of stock car racing through the eyes and ears of the men behind the wheel and the wrenches.
Our Price: $49.00
Visit Button
Buy Button
Unisex Sandwich Cap
Unisex Velcro back hat with SPEED logo on front. PINKS logo embroidered on left and PAO logo on right. One size fits all.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Speedway T-shirt
Men's 6 oz. 100% Cotton Jersey Short Sleeve Tee. SPEED logo imprinted on the front center chest.
Our Price: $24.99
Visit Button
Buy Button
Ferrari Red Classic Hat
100% cotton twill. Ferrari shield embroidered on front, piping on the peak and Ferrari logo embroidered on back strap adjuster.
Our Price: $30.00 ($27.00 Member)
Visit Button
Buy Button
Footer Bg
  • Zoom More Photos Button
  • Camera Icon
CUP: Drivers OK With Mayfield Return
Written by: Tom Jensen   
07/02/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
Jeremy Mayfield's NASCAR suspension will be lifted due to an injunction. (PHOTO: LAT Photographic) ยป More Photos

As one might expect, drivers queried about the pending return of suspended NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield were somewhat circumspect in their comments at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a judge in Charlotte granted Mayfield an injunction preventing NASCAR from enforcing its suspension of the owner/driver for allegedly failing a drug test in May. Although he was not at Daytona on Thursday, Mayfield will be allowed to race until the case is heard. And for the most part, Mayfield’s fellow drivers treated it as a non-issue one way or another.

“Ultimately it was the judge’s decision to turn it out how he turned it out,” said Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch, the defending race winner of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at DIS. “He’s (Jeremy Mayfield) free to race which is fine. If he’s out there on the race track with me then it doesn’t bother me. Normally we’re ahead of him anyway.”

“I think the best thing is just to wait and see what the real facts are and what comes out,” said Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. “I think all of the speculation is damaging to both NASCAR and Jeremy, so I’ll just wait to see what comes out of it. But, I feel safe with all the drivers on the track. I don’t have any problem racing anyone.”

“I’m totally behind NASCAR,” said Kasey Kahne, who won his first race of the season two weeks ago in Sonoma, Calif. “So if he’s on the track, you have to race with him.”

Asked how his fellow drivers felt, Kahne added, “I would say that they are the same as me. Everybody out here wants to race and they want to race hard and race with people that are in the same state of mind that you’re
in. If people are into other things, they should go do those things by themselves and not be on a race track going 200 mph with other racers.”

The one driver who stood up on Mayfield’s behalf was Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth.

“I don’t know of any people, offhand, or many people that have ever had a problem with Jeremy,” said Kenseth. “I don’t if we’ll ever know if there’s a way to find out or not if it’s right or wrong, certainly, for some reason, if it was wrong, you feel bad for the guy because he’s been kind of crucified already. If he was in the wrong, then we’ll all want to know that, too, and want it to get worked out right so there’s no question of the drug policy going forward.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

Play Super 7 Sweep Fantasy Racing powered by Wind Tunnel!
View All Comments