Hall of Fame list leaves out one important name

NASCAR announced Thursday night the 25 nominees to be considered for the inaugural Hall of Fame Class. From that list, 50 voters -- I am a voter -- will determine in October which five will be a part of that first class.

Give credit to the nominating committee because it's not easy to take all the key figures in the sport's history and whittle it to 25 names. I'm thankful I wasn't a part of that.

For all the committee did right, there was one omission that stands out to me -- Dale Inman.

The crew chief won 193 races and eight championships. Most of those wins and 7 of those titles came with Richard Petty. HIs other title came with Terry Labonte.

While numbers don't tell the whole story for some of the nominees, they certainly paint a picture of the sport's most successful crew chief. It was interesting, though, that of the 25 selected, 17 were drivers, six were car owners, two were officials and none were crew chiefs. Such an omission would be the one complaint to make about who was selected.

Otherwise, it's hard to fault the committee. In a couple of cases, the committee got it right in nominating Roanoke's Curtis Turner and modified driver Richie Evans.

Before the list came out, I picked my own list and had Turner on it, but I wondered if he would truly make the list. Bill France Sr. suspended Turner from 1960 until late in the 1965 season for attempting to unionize the drivers. That hurt Turner's numbers. His 17 wins are less than most of the driver nominees.  He will be a challenge for myself and the other voters to decide where he fits in with NASCAR's greats beacuse of his interrupted career. Still, even with the past issues, it was good to see him at least nominated.

Just as it was good to see Evans nominated. Remember this isn't the Sprint Cup Hall of Fame but the NASCAR Hall of Fame and should include those from all the umbrella series. Evans won nine modified championships before his death in a crash during practice at Martinsville. He's deserving to be on the list and it wouldn't be surprising to see him in the Hall within five years.

Here's a look at the 25 nominees and a brief comment:

Bobby Allison -- Could be inducted in Year 2 or 3 at the latest

Buck Baker -- Buddy's father who might get lost in the shuffle in the next few years.

Dale Earnhardt -- He likely will be an unanimous selection.

Tim Flock -- Induction likely 3 or more years away.

Ned Jarrett -- Two-time champ probably 3-4 years away from induction.

David Pearson -- Expect to see in the first class.

Lee Petty -- Likely Year 2 inductee

Richard Petty -- Automatic pick this year

Richard Childress -- Great record but probably a few years away.

Herb Thomas -- Great winning percentage could get him in in about 3 or so years.

Darrell Waltrip -- Should be in by Year 2 at the latest

Joe Weatherly -- Probably four or so years away

Glen Wood -- Good to see Wood Brothers member nominated but may not join Hall for five years

Cale Yarborough -- Argument could be made to be inducted this year.

Junior Johnson -- Strong candidate to be inducted this year.

Fireball Roberts -- Likely in the same boat as Weatherly

Bill France Sr. -- Expect him to be honored in first class

Bill France Jr. -- Question of if he'll join his father. Might be inducted in Year 2.

Bud Moore -- Is Hall worthy but might have to wait four or more years.

Curtis Turner -- Could get inducted in Year 3 but probably not earlier than that.

Benny Parsons -- People's champ might be four or more years away

Rick Hendrick -- Induction likely delayed a few years as committee works to get veterans in ahead of him.

Richie Evans -- Would be nice to see him inducted within four years.

Red Byron -- First champion but numbers not strong. Likely will need more than five years.

Raymond Parks -- First champion car owner but likely will need more than five years to get in.

There's my thoughts. Who did you think got left out of the top 25 that shoudln't have? Who would you vote for your five to be inducted next May at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte?

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Scenes from court as Mayfield wins injunction

It's been a crazy day off the track for NASCAR with a federal judge ruling to grant Jeremy Mayfield's request for an injunction to allow him to compete again for the first time in Cup since series officials indefinitely suspended him May 9 for a failed drug test.

I was at court for most of it today (full disclosure -- I had to leave before the judge's verdict to catch a plane to get to Daytona but was there for the arguments for both sides)

It didn't surprise me when I found out the judge granted Mayfield's injunction. I kind of got that sense that the judge was searching for a way to grant it based on the questions he asked lawyers for both sides.

He asked very few questions of Mayfield's lawyer, Bill Diehl. if  you've never seen this guy, he's in his 50s rotund and his this shock of long yellow hair. He has a flair for the dramatics in court and even had some in attendance laughing or snickering at some of his comments during  his 45-minute presentation. i'll get to a few things in a bit.

Back to the judge. When it was the turn of NASCAR's attorneys to talk, the judge pressed them hard on questions.

At one point, Helen Maher was addressing the court for NASCAR when judge Graham Mullen asked her about the limitation on the discretion NASCAR had in determing what violates its Substance Abuse Policy. Maher's response wandered a bit and Mullen stopped her and said: "That's not a response. If you're answer is none, step up and own it.''

Ouch.

Later, the judge questioned another NASCAR attorney to ask what someone could do in regard to a false positive test. And when Mayfield's lawyer, Diehl, had a chance for rebuttal, the judge asked Diehl what the North Carolina statue said about such a circumstance and Diehl read a portion that he said addressed the matter and stated that showed Mayfield should be allowed to compete again.

At issue, in a way, was NASCAR's power. The Substance Abuse Policy, some would suggest, is over the top, in not having a list of banned substances and that makes it too open-ended. Diehl argued that in theory NASCAR could stated that drinking too much Coca-Cola or coffee or orange juice could violate the policy.

After my plane landed in Florida, I called Charles Yesalis, an authority on performance-enhancing drugs. I talked to him last fall when NASCAR announced its revised policy calling for random drug testing, but the big issue that day in September in Dover was that there was no list of banned substances. Yesalis told me that day: "This is really bad. If I were a driver and got caught, I'd hire me a real big-time lawyer  and say, "Make mince-meat of it.''

So when I talked to Yesalis today he remained adament that NASCAR have a list of banned substances -- Yesalis admits he's not aware of any pro league without such a list other than NASCAR. Yesalis said the sport could put together a list of banned substances and do what many other leagues and add a clause that says "and related substances.''

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the Substance Abuse Policy, if anything, after this. Remember, this is just an injunction, there's still a whole court case to settle so this isn't over.

As for Diehl, at one point he addressed the judge and said: "It's July 4th weekend. Somehow that rings true as I talk to you and ask you to correct a wrong. Independence Day for Jeremy ought to be today.''

Another time, Diehl said that according to the drug test that Mayfield had enough meth in him at the time of the test that Mayfield would have been "either a walking zombie or he's dead.''

About NASCAR and its actions, Diehl said: "(Mayfield) has been arrested, if you will. He has been tried ... and he has been convicted.''

As for NASCAR lawyers, here's some of what they said:

Helen Maher: "If Mr. Mayfield is allowed to race after testing positive for meth, who will protect the public, who will protect the drivers? He tested positive for an illegal drug and endangered the lives of all around him. (at this point, mayfield's wife, sitting in the gallery, shakes her head -- which she did often as Maher talked).

Later, Maher said: "Mr. Diehl told an interesting story. I was entertained by it, but you come into federal court you need facts ... and he has none.''

And she said: "NASCAR has a duty ot prevent (Mayfield) from injuring anyone at a NASCAR event.''

Bill Diehl said on Sirius Speedway -- Dave Moody's show on Sirius Satellite Radio -- that he wasn't sure if Mayfield could be ready to compete at Daytona now that he's eligible. Diehl suggested it might take until next week at Chicagoland Speedway before Mayfield returned. We'll see.

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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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A shocking day in New Hampshire

The day started with news that Bill Weber wouldn't be on TNT's broadcast Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, featured a Kyle Busch apology and ended with rookie Joey Logano winning a rain-shortened race and becoming the youngest driver in series history to win a Cup race.

On to the day:

# Who would have ever thought Logano would win the race? And that was before he fell a lap down two different times, spun and then nearly ran out of fuel. While everyone will call it a fluke _ and while he did what he had to at the end, this is still flukish _ David Reutimann, who won a rain-shortened 600, said that Logano shouldn't let what others say make this win any less memorable.

"Now ... you have to listen to people say how you lucked into the whole deal,'' Reutimann said after finishing fourth. "In the end, I hope he enjoys it because a win is a win and I don't think any less of mine because it's a rain-shortened race, so he shouldn't (either).''

There was a lot Logano had to overcome after the spin, which brought out the caution on lap 184 of what turned out to be a 273-lap race. Both left-side tires shredded and he drove back to the pits on the rims. Once there, what was left of the left rear was wrapped around the axle and the team lost a lap cutting it away. Then, a few laps later, Scott Speed wrecked. Logano was the only driver a lap down and got the Lucky Dog, getting his lap back. They pitted and had more fuel then anyone else. So, when everyone eventually pitted, Logano was in the lead and then the rain came out. Had it not stopped the race sooner, Logano would have had only a few more laps before he ran out of fuel.

He didn't and he's a Cup winner at age 19. Just think about what you were doing at 19 and then think about Logano winning a Cup race. Logano won't have much time to enjoy it. The series heads back to Daytona. Remember in February with his limited experience in a Cup car with a restrictor plate how lost he was then? It shouldn't be as difficult this time but it still won't be easy for him, so he should enjoy this and remember it on those bad days.

# A few drivers were upset with Kyle Busch after he tagged Martin Truex Jr. on a restart and 8 cars were collected. It started when Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a bad restart and bunched the field behind him. Guys had to check up on the gas but even as that happened, Busch hit Truex.

Said Truex: "I guess Kyle just decided he didn't want to lift, so I was just an innocent victim. Kyle just lost his head like he usually does when something bad happens.

Said Brian Vickers, who was collected in the crash: "I guess everybody just learns to expect Kyle doing something stupid. Stupid is forever.''

Said Kyle after finishing seventh: "I got into Martin and I hate it for him and Jeff Burton and those guys,’’ Busch said. “It’s just hard racing on a restart. I just got into (Truex) and got him sideways. Unfortunately for those guys, tore up some good race cars.’’

# Scott Speed's battle with teammate Brian Vickers seems to be continuing. They both banged into each other on the last lap of Saturday's Nationwide race as they battled for fifth and then hit each other on the cool-down lap. Askead about his incident Sunday, Spee said: "I think the car behind us got into us a little bit, obviously, and spun us out. Maybe Brian paid someone off for yesterday, I don't know.''

# TNT announced before the race that Bill Weber would not be a part of Sunday's broadcast. The network said it was a personal matter and wouldn't reveal why Weber was not announcing the race when he had been in town earlier this weekend. The Charlotte Observer, citing unnamed witness, reported that Weber had a loud, public confrontation at his N.H. hotel over the weekend.

# Did you see who was in the top 10?

David Reutimann pulled out a fourth. Brad Keselowski placed sixth and Sam Hornish Jr finished eight. All strong finishes for those guys.

# The battle for the final transfer spot for the Chase is getting tighter. Juan Pablo Montoya is in 12th. He leads Kasey Kahne by one point and Reutimann by 12 points with nine races to go before the field is set.

# Joey Logano is the first rookie driver to win since Montoya won at Sonoma two years ago. ... Logano's win keeps the No. 20 team's streak alive. That team, which had Tony Stewart as its driver every year until this season, has won at least one race a year every season.

# Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 13th. Not great but not bad for that team. Small steps. That's what it is going to take for this team to get stronger.

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Weber replaced for today's NASCAR race

TNT announced this morning that Ralph Sheheen will replace Bill Weber as lead announcer for today's broadcast of the New Hampshire Cup race.

Here's TNT's statement:

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Notes and quotes from New Hampshire

Rain canceled qualifying Friday at New Hampshire. Biggest news on the track is that points leader Tony Stewart crashed in practice and will go to his backup car but he won't start at the rear of the field.

Stewart crashed in practice before qualifying and retains his starting spot (the pole as the points leader) with putting the primary engine in his backup car. Kurt Busch was the fastest in practice at 130.667 mph. He was followed by David Reutimann (130.011 mph), Juan Pablo Montoya (129.967), Jimmie Johnson (129.927) and Reed Sorenson (129.900).

Other notes from the day:

# The Nationwide series will begin the double-file restarts like Cup starting next weekend at Daytona.

# No rule changes for Daytona as the Cup series makes its first apperance at a restrictor-plate track next week since the Carl Edwards incident at Talladega. However, don't be surprised if NASCAR makes a change or two before the series returns to Dega in the fall. Most likely change would be to the restrictor plate and making the hole smaller to cut a litlte horsepower. Nothing definite on that, though.

# Kyle Busch on his recent woes (2 top-10s in the last 11 races): "We just need to get our cars better. We need to get them where I feel like (Tony Stewart) and (Jimmie Johnson) is _ they can pass cars. Anytime that I ever need to go somewhere and go forward, I can't go forward, I'm always stuck where I am.''

# Jeff Gordon on his back: "The thing with my back is it's almost a blessing in disguise because I've always been fairly fit without having to do much, And I think that because of that, my core had gotten a little bit weak and I think over the last few years, especially with some wrecks, it's contributed to my back problems. And now, I'm getting stronger, so I'm actually in better shape than I've been in long time and still have a ways to go. But I think it's actually going to help me be more prepared for the end of the year and the Chase than anything else. So far, I think Bristol, maybe Richmond, those tracks have been the toughest on me. And they're not in the Chase, so we'll be in good shape.''

# Juan Pablo Montoya on his advice to Danica Patrick about a possible move to NASCAR: "Danica, I think she's got the talent and everything, but I don't think she knows what she's getting into. They're so different to drive. It's not the same feeling. When you drive an open-wheel car on an oval, you have the grip, you turn the wheel and it turns. You get on it and it goes and you get on the brakes and it stops. This, it goes more with the momentum.You've got to give time to the car andou've got to get used to the feeling that you've got to go fast when the car doesn't feel right. With time actually, it becomes kind of normal. Like for me driving the Cup car now it's normal.''

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Mayfield denies drug use; notes personal cost of court case

Jeremy Mayfield denies taking methamphetamines "in my life'' in an affidavit that is among hundreds of pages of court documents recently submitted before a July 1 hearing in U.S. Federal Court in Charlotte. NASCAR countered by getting affidavits from Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon and Jimmie Johnson stating

NASCAR officials stated last month that Mayfield tested positive for an unnamed drug. NASCAR states in court documents that it was an illegal drug and suspended him indefinitely. Mayfield since sued and NASCAR has fought back. What illegal drug Mayfield is accused of taking has always been blacked out in court documents, thus this is the first mention of methampetamines by either side that was not blacked out. It had been reported that was the drug that caused Mayfield to fail his drug test.

During the July 1 hearing, Mayfield's lawyers will seek an injunction that would allow Mayfield to compete immediately in NASCAR Sprint Cup events. Court documents state that Mayfield would attempt to qualify for the Daytona Cup race scheduled for July 4 should he get the injunction.

Mayfield also stated in the documents how the being accused of failing a drug test has impacted him. The court documents state that because of NASCAR's actions that Mayfield's sponsor will no longer honor its commitment to the team and even "smaller sponsors'' that he's worked with in the past won't work with him now. Mayfield also says that the lack of income by losing the sponsor and not participating in recent events has forced him to lay off 10 people at his shop. Mayfield also states: "On a personal level, my wife and I are now forced to borrow funds from family members and to sell personal assets in order to meet our living expenses.''

As for his career, the 40-year-old Mayfield states: "I have always anticipated that I would be able to race for another ten years, but I believe my career will be effectively over if I am forced to sit out the rest of this season. I am afraid that I will have to sell my race team, and I know of no other way to make a living except as a professional race car driver.''

After having read hundreds of pages of court documents the last few weeks, Mayfield's side is attacking elements of the drug test, suggesting how some federal guidelines were not followed. One of the key points Mayfield's lawyers are making is that federal guidelines give a person who has tested positive 72 hours to determine what to do with the B Sample (in this case, Mayfield's urine sample was split into an A sample that was tested and then the B Sample that was later tested).

Mayfield's side contends he had not yet requested the B Sample be tested (which could have been tested at a different facility, Mayfield's lawyers state) before it was actually ordered tested. NASCAR's side, including an affidavit from Dr. David Black, who is Chairman of the Aegis Sciences Corp., argues that "under the NASCAR Policy, the Federal Employee Drug Testing Guidelines do not match NASCAR's requirements.'' Black notes that "sports testing laboratories follow procedures developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency and used by the United States Anti-Doping Agency which require that the B sample be confirmed in the same laboratory that conducted the A sample analysis.''

Mayfield contends "I never instructed ... anyone ... to test Speciman B. I was completely unaware of my right to have Speciman B tested by a separate, independent laboratory.''

At the end of his affidavit, Mayfield states: "I do not understand how or why this is happening to me and my family. The Aegis (the lab that did the testing) drug test was erroneous. Their actions and those of NASCAR have eliminated my ability to show the test results were a "false positive.''

As for the NASCAR affidavits from Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. They were like form letters with each having a statement that read: "I make my livelihood by racing in NASCAR events. Racing is my life and career. However, I am not willing to put my life at risk driving a racecar on a NASCAR track with drivers testing positive for drugs that diminish their capacity to drive a racecar. I support NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy and depend on NASCAR to prohibit drivers who don't abide by the policy from racing. If drivers are on the track in violation of NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy, it presents serious questions as to whether or not it makes sense for me to put my life at risk.''

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Richard Petty and Toyota; Could you live with that?

Could you handle this NASCAR Nation? Would it be a big deal if Richard Petty Motorsports went to Toyotas or do car manufacturers mean less to you these days? I'll be honest, it doesn't seem as if this generation of race fans are as gung-ho into what a driver is racing than previous generations.

The talk is that Richard Petty Motorsports is looking to switch from Dodge to Toyota with Dodge's status uncertain in the sport as it goes through its bankruptcy. After filing for bankruptcy, Dodge didn't make a payment to RPM that it was scheduled to make. RPM then laid off nine employees. What Dodge will be able to provide in the future remains unclear. Petty has said that he doesn't know what the team will do but it's talking to anybody that will talk to it _ and should be doing so to ensure the team's future.

So, would it really matter if the No. 43 and Petty _ as all-American as apple pie _ had Toyota decals on it as opposed to Dodge, Chevy or Ford? In a way, it wouldn't be the first time Petty would be with a foreign manfacturer. Petty Enterprises was a Dodge team when Dodge was owned by DaimlerChrysler, which was based in Germany.

Something else to consider. Before you answer about if you could handle Petty affiliated with Toyota, ask yourself this: What if Toyota was the only option? Could you take Petty with Toyota or would you just as soon see him not in the sport than with a foreign manufacturer.

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Will Kyle Busch miss the Chase?

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Petty wins again; Hendrick on Junior; A comedic driver

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