Few names are as controversial as Jeremy Mayfield. A former NASCAR driver who had a 17-year career in the NASCAR Cup Series, Mayfield had five wins and 36 top-5 finishes. But his promising career took a dramatic turn on May 9, 2009, when NASCAR suspended him indefinitely for violating its anti-drug policy.
The highly publicized suspension cast a shadow over Mayfield’s racing career and personal life, which spanned more than a decade. Mayfield recently shed new light on this difficult part of his life by criticizing NASCAR and admitting that they “can do anything.” Mayfield has pleaded not guilty to the drug charges, and the positive tests that led to his suspension included Adderall, which was prescribed by his doctor to treat allergies, and over-the-counter Claritin-D. He said that was the result of combined use. Random drug testing at Richmond International Raceway was part of a new policy introduced that year that includes random testing. Interestingly, it wasn’t just the suspension that made 2009 a struggle for Mayfield, but also the legal battle that followed.
“It was a Shana (Mayfield) thing and we weren’t ready,” Mayfield told YardBarker. “When something like this happens, you have to take it one day at a time. “Every day I felt like I crashed into something.Mayfield took legal action to challenge NASCAR’s decision, claiming his medication could cause false positives. A United States District Court initially ruled in Mayfield’s favor, temporarily allowing him to return to racing, but a later stay contradicted his claim by testing positive for methamphetamine. Mayfield strongly disputed the results, reporting a separate negative result from the hospital. Unfortunately for Mayfield, a later court ruling overturned the order, effectively ending his NASCAR career.
“When it was all over, we were glad it was over and it was time to move on to the next step,” he recalled. The process took a huge toll, both personally and financially.“We had to get the pieces, and me and Shana went with it. “It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever been through.”One of Mayfield’s main criticisms of the entire episode was the lack of direct communication with NASCAR’s top executives. During the controversy, Mayfield was limited in who he could speak to, never having contact with high-ranking officials like Brian or Jim France. “If they could have sat down the first day before they made any announcements, we would have arranged it, but they didn’t want to do that,” Mayfield said, sounding disappointed. “I haven’t talked to any of them about it yet.”
