DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Jeremy Mayfield wasn't at Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night's race, citing the media attention on his legal fight with NASCAR as an unnecessary distraction from the Independence Day celebration.
NASCAR suspended Mayfield May 9 for testing positive for methamphetamines, and he sued to be reinstated. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued an injunction clearing him to return to competition, and Mayfield indicated he'd travel to Daytona.
But he didn't enter his Mayfield Motorsports team and had no ride lined up for the race. Still, there was a constant watch for his arrival, which was expected to happen Saturday.
Instead, he and wife Shana issued a statement at the same time the pre-race driver meeting began at Daytona.
"We've been watching on television and reading online about the 'Storm Clouds Over Daytona' and the 'Mayfield Media Circus,"' he wrote. "Honestly, this is the last thing Shana or I want for anybody. This weekend shouldn't be about a questionable drug test or a flawed drug testing system. It should be about celebrating our country, the greatest country in the world.
"So, enjoy the weekend with your friends and family, and have a very Happy Independence Day. We look forward to seeing you all at the track very soon."
Mayfield said he hoped to be at next week's race in Chicago. Saturday night is the eighth race he's missed since his suspension, and the sixth event Mayfield Motorsports did not enter.
His suspension covered both his role as driver and owner of the No. 41 Toyota, and Mayfield had transferred ownership to his wife so the car could continue to compete during his absence. The team used J.J. Yeley for the first two races following his suspension.
NASCAR has been critical this weekend of Mayfield's absence from Daytona, questioning why he needed an emergency hearing to be reinstated if he had no intention of immediately returning to competition.
"I'm probably like a lot of people - when I hear the word 'emergency,' I think of urgency and really needing to do something," NASCAR chairman Brian France said. "So the fact that they didn't bother to show up, you can make of that what you will. It is what it is."
Mayfield said the Wednesday ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen did not give him enough time to make it to Daytona before Thursday's entry deadline.
"There is nothing in the world that I would rather do than race for you all on the Fourth of July," he said. "We had less than 24 hours to prepare the car, assemble a team, get sponsorship and travel to Daytona. Ultimately, we were unable to get this done in time. We've decided that our time is best spent back here in North Carolina working around the clock to try and secure the funding needed to get the 41 Car to Chicago and beyond.
"Shana and I, as well as everyone at Mayfield Motorsports, will do everything in our power to race next weekend."
Mayfield said it was an "understatement" to say the two months since his suspension has been the worst time of his life, seconding it only to the pain he felt following the 2007 death of his father.
The suspension has halted his income, and he admitted in court filings that the suspension has sapped his finances. He said he's had to lay off 10 employees, borrow money from family and sell personal assets to cover his living expenses. Triad Racing Technologies also filed suit after his suspension, accusing Mayfield of owing more than $86,000 for back work.
He's repeatedly denied using drugs, and said he had no idea how he tested positive for methamphetamines. Mayfield has blamed the failed test, taken May 1 at Richmond International Raceway, on the combined use of Adderall for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Claritin-D for allergies.
That theory was rebuked by the administrator of NASCAR's drug testing program.
But Mayfield's attorney focused on the fairness of NASCAR's program, which he claimed did not meet federal guidelines because Mayfield was not given an opportunity to challenge the results. The same lab tested both his "A" and backup "B" samples, and lawyer Bill Diehl argued Mayfield should have been able to take the sealed "B" sample to an independent lab for his own test.
The argument swayed Mullen, who questioned the test results and said the possibility of a false positive was "quite substantial" while finding the harm to Mayfield significantly outweighed the harm to NASCAR.
Mayfield said the ruling was "a giant step towards clearing my name."
France said NASCAR is still exploring its legal options concerning the injunction. A civil suit filed by Mayfield and a NASCAR countersuit still remain.
But the chairman insisted NASCAR intends to defend its drug testing policy "very vigorously."
"Our first responsibility, despite the ruling on Wednesday or any ruling, will always be that we are going to make sure every way we can that everyone who is driving these race cars are of clear mind," France said. "We don't just go laying the hammer down and ruining someone's career. That's not what we are talking about when we are talking about Jeremy's situation.
"You know what he was tested for. That's unequivocal. There's no confusion about that from a science standpoint."