Mayfield's stepmom files suit

The latest twist in the Jeremy Mayfield methamphetamine case has his stepmother filing suited, claiming Mayfield slandered her in an interview with ESPN, according to Autoracingsport.com.

In that interview, he said she tried to extort money from him, probably took money from NASCAR for false testimony, shot and killed his father and was basically a … let's say, "woman of ill-repute."

Our View Who needs soap operas when you have NASCAR? One wonders just how many more worms will crawl out of this can before the conclusion of the trial.

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Mayfield wins injunction

Jeremy Mayfield has prevailed in his request for a temporary injunction against NASCAR's indefinite suspension, according to a tweet from @DustinLong. He plans to try and qualify at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400.

Our View: If he makes the show, expect him to try and run as long as he can. Anything can happen on a restrictor-plate superspeedway, which means he has as great a chance to finish in the top 20 as anyone else.

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Mayfield sample independently tested

NASCAR sent Jeremy Mayfield's urine sample to an independent lab in Minnesota, according to Court documents. They reportedly confirm the conclusion reached by NASCAR's "in-house" lab.

Our View: Mayfield continues to insist that a combination of prescription and over the counter drugs created a false positive. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out, but Mayfield is seeking an injunction from the court that would allow him to compete at Daytona.

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Mayfield expert qualifications clarified

In an article at NASCAR.com, Jeremy Mayfield's expert Harvey MacFenerstein clarifies his credentials and says that he tried to correct the mistakes before court documents were filed.

Our View: After seeing the real credentials, you'll realize why Mayfield's lawyer may have embellished. The true credentials include "taking some classes" toward certification as a medical review officer and a degree from a Dominican Republic college.

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NASCAR seeks to exclude Mayfield expert

In the case of Jeremy Mayfield, NASCAR is seeking to have expert testimony of Harvey MacFenerstein, President of a drug testing company in San Antonio, Texas, excluded, according to HamptonRoads.com. Several issues are at issue, including the claim that he did not graduate with certain degrees that would make him an expert in the field.

Our View: This case is going to be ugly, but it is important in establishing how drug tests will be performed and driver's rights in contesting them.

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Mayfield drug named

The drug Jeremy Mayfield allegedly took has been named. According to ESPN.com, NASCAR believes he tested positive for methamphetamines.

Our View: This is certainly a serious drug that is extremely addictive. We hope the truth eventually is revealed and if Mayfield was indeed under the influence, he deserves the suspension and banishment.

We also understand NASCAR reluctance to name the drug immediately, as this would have done major damage to Mayfield's reputation.

NASCAR countersues Mayfield

At Pocono, NASCAR announced they had filed a countersuit against Jeremy Mayfield, allegedly "willfully violating NASCAR's substance-abuse policy, breach of contract, and defrauding NASCAR and its competitors of earnings," according to Ramswy Poston NASCAR's managing director of corporate communications.

Our View: The best defense is a good offense. At the center of the controversy seems to be an assertion that Mayfield purposefully combined drugs to achieve the effect of an illegal substance.

Mayfield case moved to federal court

Jeremy Mayfield's appeal of his drug suspension case will be moved to federal curt, according to NASCAR.com.

Our View: Sympathies lie with Mayfield, so long as he is innocent as he claims. But if not, NASCAR needs to have the ability to police their sport in a responsible way.

Mayfield also withdrawn

Jeremy Mayfield has withdrawn his entry for J.J. Yeley from the Dover race, according to ESPN.com.

Our View: Along with Todd Bodine's withdrawal, this makes the entry list 47 cars. That should make it a little easier for your favorite "go-or-go-home" driver make the show.

Mayfield retains counsel

According to ESPN.com, Jeremy Mayfield has retained legal counsel to represent him and help clear his name after being suspended by NASCAR for violating their substance abuse policy.

Our View: His lawyer Bill Diehl represented Elliott Sadler earlier this year while he was fighting Richard Petty Motorsports for wrongful termination. This could be a long, drawn out process.

Free Jeremy?

Dustin Long reports via Twitter that a plane just flew over the track with a banner reading "Free Jeremy."

Our View: That pretty much says it all.

Mayfield Motorsports to Yeley, "not so fast"

It seems like the announcement J.J. Yeley would drive the No. 41 was a bit premature, according to FoxSports.com. No driver has been officially named yet.

Our View: Does it really matter? This team has been nothing more than field filler all year and when they qualify, it's a start and park operation. Yeley would be a huge step up for this team, but the team is not capable of backing him.

Yeley in for Mayfield

J.J. Yeley will sub for Jeremy Mayfield effective immediately, according to RacingOne.com.

Our View: It won't matter much who is behind the wheel; this team has struggled to finish better than 40th each time they have made the race. In addition, Mayfield cannot be listed as the owner, so any owner points will probably not help them climb toward the top 35.

Two crewmen also suspended

In addition to Jeremy Mayfield, two NASCAR crew members were also suspended for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy. These were Tony Martin, a crew member with the No. 34 Cup team and Ben Williams, a crew member of the No. 16 Nationwide Series team.

Our View: Fans should appreciate the integrity that NASCAR tries to bring to their sport, as opposed to the stick and ball sports. Stock cars are just too dangerous to allow any leniency in regards to drugs.

Mayfield suspended

Jeremy Mayfield has been indefinitely suspended for violations of NASCAR's substance abuse policy.

Our View: NASCAR has said the team may continue to operate, but someone else will have to head up the operation. Mayfield failed to qualify for the Southern 500.

Practice 1 stripes

Here is a partial list of the cars that received stripes in Darlington's first practice session:

In Practice 1:
Kurt Busch scrapped the wall and spun.
Tony Stewart striped his car
Jeremy Mayfield striped his car
Brad Keselowski striped his car
Scott Speed crashed his primary and then striped the backup
Dave Blaney spun
David Reutimann crashed and rolled out a backup
Kasey Kahne striped his car
Sam Hornish Jr. striped his car

Mayfield also crashes

Add Jeremy Mayfield to the list of drivers in the wall at Darlington in the first practice session. He slapped the wall moments after Tony Stewart.

Our View: Mayfield was not expected to run well, however, so this will not impact fantasy owners very much.