Nevada college student 5th at Irwindale

Reno racer and University of Nevada journalism student Dallas Colodny is driving in the NASCAR Auto Club Late Model series at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California. Colodny started at the tail end of the field (13th of 14 cars) last Saturday due to a pair of transponder failures in qualifying, but charged through the pack for a fifth-place finish.

The performance earned him the Hard Charger award for the evening and advanced him to fourth in points, just 22 behind third place. He continues to lead the rookie standings with a 64-point advantage.

Colodny's younger brother Hunter was also at Irwindale, in his first Legends race at the track. After a strong run in the trophy dash, an early accident in the main damaged the steering on his car and he finished 20th, seven laps down.

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The saga of NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield took another turn Wednesday, when U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen issued a temporary injunction lifting Mayfield's suspension for alleged drug use. Mullen stated that the "likelihood of a false positive in this case is quite substantial." The action came two months to the day after Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamines in a random NASCAR drug test, for which he was suspended eight days later.

The judge went on to say that, "the harm to Mr. Mayfield significantly outweighs the harm to NASCAR." Mayfield has missed seven races since his May 9 suspension.

Claims and counterclaims abounded, with NASCAR lawyer Paul Hendrick scoffing at Mayfield's claim that a combination of a prescription drug and Claritin-D caused the false positive. Hendrick characterized the test sample as having "massive amounts" of methamphetamines, while Mayfield's attorney, William Diehl, said that if Mayfield had the amounts of meth in his system that NASCAR claimed, he would be "either a walking zombie or he's dead."

NASCAR CEO Brian France would not comment on any future legal action by NASCAR, although the sanctioning body did not immediately appeal the ruling.

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The whole thing, though, is moot for tonight's Daytona race, because Mayfield missed the late entry deadline. He had a couple of possible rides, one in Larry Gunselman's car and another with Tommy Baldwin, but neither panned out. Gunselman's sponsor shied away from having Mayfield in the car, and Baldwin said that no matter the final outcome, Mayfield had been "marked". Mayfield is back on NASCAR's approved driver list, so he may race next Saturday at Chicagoland, either in his own car or in Gunselman's.

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On a happier note, the first 25 candidates for NASCAR's Hall of Fame, currently under construction in Charlotte, North Carolina, were announced last week. Some of the names may not be familiar to newcomers to the sport, but many of them will be. William H.G. "Big Bill" France, NASCAR's founder, is on the list, as is Bill France Jr., who took the sport to new heights in the 1970s and 80s.

Drivers on the list from NASCAR's early days include Red Byron, Buck Baker, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Herb Thomas, and Joe Weatherly. More recent drivers include Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Benny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, and the man who spanned both eras, Richard Petty.

Team owners Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Glenn Wood, Bud Moore, and Raymond Parks are also nominees.

Five of these nominees will become the inaugural inductees. They will be chosen by a 47-member panel composed of NASCAR executives, track owners, manufacturer representatives, former racers, and media members. As a fan, you will have a chance to vote for your favorites, but bear in mind that all the race fans combined get only one vote. Vote for your favorite five at NASCAR.com/hall between July 28 and September 27.

My wife thinks that five inductees are too few for the initial membership, and I have to say I agree. Pick 10, 15, or 20 the first time around, then five a year after that.

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In other racing action this weekend, the Indycar Series will be at Watkins Glen tomorrow. Hopefully the road course will provide better racing action than the last race at Richmond, where the only passing done was in the pits. Yawn!