Drivers raise questions about Mayfield ruling

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

A day after a federal judge allowed Jeremy Mayfield to again compete in NASCAR Sprint Cup events, Mayfield and his team were not seen at Daytona International Speedway.

Although not on the track, Mayfield was the topic of conversation among drivers Thursday.

NASCAR indefinitely suspended Mayfield on May 9 for testing positive for methamphetamine. Mayfield challenged the test in court and was granted an injunction that ends his indefinite suspension as the court case proceeds.

Ryan Newman questioned the judge's action.

"When somebody tests positive, it is something to be seriously considered," Newman said. "When you as a federal judge release somebody to go back and (drive) without necessarily, in my eyes, clarifying everything, that's not cool. People make mistakes. I just hope the judge didn't make one."

Mark Martin shares a similar concern, although he stressed he didn't have concerns racing with Mayfield.

"I do, however, have a problem with NASCAR not being able to say you can't," Martin said of the injunction. "That is a problem for our sport. They need to be the authority. They need to be able to say if you do or if you don't."

Jeff Gordon, 1 of 3 drivers who signed affidavits for NASCAR stating that he would not want to be on the track with someone that tested positive, said he won't race Mayfield any differently.

"I didn't have any issues with Jeremy on the track prior to all this going on," he said.

Kasey Kahne suggested that there have been changes with drug testing since Mayfield's court case.

Kahne said he was tested at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. He said that previously, his testing went quicker than it did at Infineon.

"It's a process now," Kahne said. " You have to initial every step through the whole process. It took about 40 minutes it seemed at (Infineon)."

Greg Biffle, who said he was tested last week at New Hampshire, said he didn't notice a change in the process.

That Mayfield's team is not competing this weekend isn't surprising. He has stated in an affidavit that since the suspension, he has lost his sponsor and any potential sponsors. That forced him to lay off 10 employees, and he and his wife have had to borrow money from family. Thus, getting a team ready to compete proved too much for Mayfield to have a car ready for this week.

Next week, though, the series runs at Chicagoland Speedway. If he's not ready at that point, there's an off weekend before Indianapolis.

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BACK IN THE SADDLE

The last time Carl Edwards raced at a restrictor-plate track, he was flying into the catchfence at Talladega.

So now that he's back at Daytona, he was asked if he had any trepidation.

"One of the things that attracted me to racing so much was that the first time I drove a race car, it scared the (heck) out of me," Edwards said. "So I was like, 'Man that's pretty exciting. ' Now, I don't get that feeling. It's just the competition and the fear of losing. That's the only real fear out there is making a mistake that costs you a position or the race."

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PIT STOPS

Matt Kenseth says his wife, Katie, hasn't yet given birth. "Hopefully, it's on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday," Kenseth said, noting those are days away from the track for drivers.... Cup qualifying is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. today.