NASCAR says Jeremy Mayfield resisted drug test Monday
13 Comments Quote selected text Published July 9th, 2009 in NASCAR News
NASCAR driver/owner Jeremy Mayfield, who obtained an injunction from U.S. District Court to lift a suspension for a failed drug test that NASCAR says was positive for methamphetamines, submitted to a NASCAR drug test Monday but did not provide a sample to NASCAR’s technicians for seven hours.
The delay was a sign that Mayfield was trying to avoid the test, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Wednesday night, but Mayfield attorney John Buric said it was just the result of confusion over where the laboratory was.
Mayfield was called at 1:18 p.m. Monday and told he had two hours to get to a NASCAR-specified laboratory to give a sample – two hours being the standard for NASCAR tests not conducted at the race track, Poston said. Mayfield claimed he couldn’t find the lab and then went to a laboratory not acceptable to Aegis Laboratories, which oversees NASCAR’s drug tests.
Buric said the original NASCAR phone call went to Mayfield’s voice mail and he then was told more than an hour after the initial call to go to a laboratory about an hour away. He was then told with less than 30 minutes prior to the 3:18 p.m. deadline to go to a closer lab but didn’t get good directions and was at a loss about what to do. Buric said neither he nor Mayfield could not get hold of the contact at the laboratory to get accurate directions.
“I said [to Mayfield], ‘They are going to try to turn this into a positive result and try to accuse you for delaying, failing to abide by the drug-policy procedures. Go to your own lab and provide a urine sample so we have a safe sample,’” Buric said.
NASCAR sent technicians and a NASCAR security official to Mayfield’s home, and they were able to get a sample at about 8:20 p.m., about an hour after they arrived, Poston said. If Mayfield did not give a sample Monday, he would have been considered to have failed the test and been suspended, Poston said. NASCAR has said it takes four days to do a complete analysis of a sample.
“It’s apparent this was an attempt to delay and avoid doing a test within the prescribed time,” Poston said. “Ultimately, we got a sample from him, but it was after an extraordinary amount of delay and avoidance on his part.”
What the hell? NASCAR calls, and he doesn’t answer for whatever reason, then gets the VM an hour later. Then there’s a ~30 minute period where nothing happens, and he gets told to go to a closer lab with a half hour to spare, but he can’t figure out how to get there???
So I guess he doesn’t have access to Google? If they knew the name and number of the lab, they could have found it within 10 seconds. From their story, they had more than enough info to find out where it was. He doesn’t have a GPS in any of his cars, or a Sprint phone with the turn-by-turn direction stuff? He could have had that address and been in the car in under a minute with the GPS taking him to their door.
I would think that if you’re trying to clear your alledged good name that you would do whatever necessary to get to that testing center instead of sitting around with your thumb up your butt!!! I know I sure would be. Then when NASCAR brings the testing center to him, it takes an hour to drop trou and pee in a cup? Although I don’t like Mayfield, at first I wanted to believe he was innocent, but his every action since day one of this mess points to him lying.
Then they have the gall to complain that NASCAR gets to do what it wants and play by its own rules? You’re darn right they do! They’re a private entity and the driver is basically a contractor, not even an employee. On top of that, the court said he would be tested whenever NASCAR deemed it necessary and he was to comply with them… Sounds to me like an obvious attempt to skirt a court order!
Well, i hope this is the end of the “Mayfield Grand Circus of Drama”. I totally agree with Jeff. If, on Monday 6Th of July, Mayfield was clean around 1.18 pm, when Nascar’s call came in, he would be heading to that lab like a bullet train.
That was Mayfield’s golden opportunity to prove everyone nothing is going on.
Yet, Mayfield, so-called, gets lost. That is one hell of a pathetic excuse. If Nascar left him a message to go to a lab within 2 hours, they also left him the lab’s phone number and a the name of a contact person at the lab.
His attorneys should be careful stating Mayfield could not reach the contact person. Another story at Nascar reads different and all it takes is to retrieve the phone records and if the lab recorded the phone call, he is done !
I think NASCAR is really overstepping their AUTHORITY HERE. Sending NASCAR SECURITY Guards to his house.I think they are pissed because they LOST round 1. I hope Jeremy is innocent but the tactics used by NASCAR is troubling for sure
I’m totally sticking up for Jeremy on this one. First, The phone rang but he didn’t pay the bill so he ran aline from his neighbors and didnt hear it ring. Second, He couldn’t get there because he had no car because it got repoed. Third, He couldn’t find his shoes because he pawned them for crack
2 sides to every story lets see what the other is we heard nascar,s. mr mayfield what,s your side ? but if they showed up at my house they would need armed security! i have never heard of the nascar mofia!!!! brake his knees and hold the cup till he pisses!!!!!!!! got the sample boss. this is getting old i say we test brian france ! the king pin of nascar or big idiot how ever you see it what will be the next drama of the soap opra of nascar is kyle bush a alien oh let me guess mark martin and dale jr. are twin brothers by different mothers but what ever lets go racing boys he,s broke and cant play the game any way so what the hell is the big deal let it rest the judges labs doctors and jeremy will get it worked out with out us and it wont coast any of the fans a dime!!!!!!!!!!
NASCAR is effing going overboard. They do not want single car teams like Robby or Mayfield around and get really peed when guys like them stand up for themselves. Let him race. How many pee tests do they want for crying out loud? End this crap now!
A tad too gestapo like for me. So they left a message on his home(?) phone? 2 hours to get to a lab an hour away? What if he had to pick up kids from school, take them to the Dr, etc. If he’s not driving this weekend, why are they testing him on Thursday? Sounds like they’re strong-arming him or at the least trying to make him look bad. Don’t say “uncle” Jeremy, keep at it.
How about mandatory sobriety tests after races for NA$CAR officials…?
When this article was originally posted yesterday (maybe early this morning) on Yahoo Sports it said that Mayfield answered the call, but told NASCAR he would have to talk to his lawyers first.
Now today this one says that he didn’t answer the call, and ironically enough the link to the one that was on Yahoo yesterday now goes to a different story about Jeremy.
Gigolo george, this latest test was part of the tests that all drivers have to go through, just well Mayfield gets an extra one because he deserves it. IMO he should have Urine, Blood, and Hair tests done every week for as long as he holds a NASCAR license.
Remember the first sign of being an addict is denial when confronted about it. All Methfield… err Mayfield has done so far is deny deny deny….
Bdeholl wrote:
This test was done Monday. When ever you do a drug test (heck most places you have to do it before you get interviewed for a job anymore) you have to do it within 2 hours of being told.
and when was the last time he raced, May? NA$CAR is forcing an issue trying to embarrass him. I don’t blame him for waiting to talk to an attorney (if that’s what he did) because you know they had a herd of them watching him pee…
Fisha, in this country, we are innocent until proven guilty, even if it’s questionable. Then there are appeals.Mayfield has rights a U.S. citizen but not as a NASCAR driver. This series is an entity all to itself. i understand Mayfield is on the hot seat and drivers and employees are subject to testing but NASCAR is going out of their way to make an example of him. They are embarassed in many ways over this deal. mayfiled won’t roll over, play dead or go away. So they try changing the rules until they get the result they want. That’s wrong.
It will be interesting to see if both samples read the same. What if Nascars sample and Mayfields Lab’s sample Read different (Nascars = Positive, Mayfields = Negative) ( I’m betting Nascars will show positive)
Mayfield should have went out first thing the next morning and had another sample tested and if both of his came up clean and Nascars didn’t then it’s time to have a judge order a sample tested by Nascars, Mayfields and a court appointed lab. Now on the other hand if NASCARS test comes up clean then they will say that Mayfield just hasn’t used any meth sence he was tested before, and play off the fact that traces of meth stay in your system for several months.
I am curious, Did Mayfield get just the first test that was positive or did the do other tests to confirm the first one wasn’t wrong. I will say this if I was Mayfield I would have got a test of my own the minute they told me it was posative but as I remember he said it was a reaction from 2 other meds that gave a false positive and maybe he felt like that would be proved.
Either way lets hope for the good of the sport and Mayfield this gets straightened out soon and he gets what is owed him, banned for life or his drivers card and lots of cash.
NASCAR Fan wrote:
Mayfields lawyer pretty much negated the first test he got that day anyway (in the version of this article on yahoo) by saying that the lab Mayfield got tested at first wasn’t an approved lab so no matter what the results they wouldn’t matter because they wouldn’t be accurate.
Although I bet that will only be the case if that test were to come back positive. If that test would come back negitive then the Lawyer will be doing everything he can to try and get that test to be recognized, even though himself said it wouldn’t.