Weber out at TNT; Mayfield case ongoing

TNT announced today that Bill Weber is out as lead announcer. TNT issued a statement about Weber's status:

"Bill Webrer will not be part of TNT's NASCAR coverage of the Cup Series for the network's last two races,'' the statement read. "Ralph Sheheen  will handle play-by-play duties for The Coke Zero 400 in Daytona and the Lifelock.com 400 from Chicagoland. Sheheen will be calling the races alongside analysts Kyle Petty Petty and Wally Dallenbach in the booth.''

As for the Mayfield case. It's going on today in a federal courthouse in Charlotte. Mayfield's attorney, Bill Diehl, argued for Mayfield today. Diehl spoke for about 45 minutes. He attacked NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy and how it doesn't specifically list banned substances and he challenged the drug testing procedures,claiming that there were certain federal procedures the NASCAR-contracted lab had to follow that it didn't. (NASCAR has argued in court documents tha the lab doesn't have to do so because NASCAR is not a federally funded program).

The headline so far is that NASCAR admits Mayfield tested positive for meth, although it's not really huge news. The part about meth has always been blacked out in court documents but Mayfield and his attorney have claimed he's never taken meth. Mayfield's attorney openly said meth several times noting how it's been reported in the media for weeks.

Aftereward, Diehl spoke to reporters for a few moments before he, Mayfield and others left the courthouse. I asked him if this has been an easy case or a tough case for him. .

"The case is a big complicated case that's going to take probably awhile,'' he said. "Today is an effort to get an injunction. The judge can grant it or he can deny it. That doesn't the end case. It's a process. I wish it could be be over quickly but lawsuits don't tend to get over that quickly.''

Also, on another topic NASCAR announced two more candidates for the inaugural Hall of Fame Class. Yesterday it was Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip. Today, NASCAR announced Glen Wood and Richard Childress as candidates. The entire 25-person nomination group will be announced on Speed Channel Thursday night. So, that's four down and 21 names to guess, although I'm sure many of you could name several viable candidates.

For more on the Mayfield trial and other things, check me out on Twitter @dustinlong. I'll try to update more today as I head off to the airport to fly to Florida. It might be a close call for me. I'll do what I can.

Also, you'll be able to hear me on Sirius Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 128 from 8-10 p.m. Thursday with Claire B. Lang as we break down the 25-person nomination group. Only five will be chosen for the inaugural Hall of Fame Class. I'm one of the people who will vote on who will make that first class. Voting will take place in October.

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