DWM in NASCAR

DWM – Driving while on meth? Reportedly that is what Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for and resulted in his suspension according to ESPN the Magazine.

Previously, Mayfield and NASCAR had two very different stories explaining the failed drug test. Mayfield stuck to his mixture of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D defense. NASCAR’s drug testing administrator rejected that explanation.

Reading between the lines, this story was not going to end with a fairy tale ending: prescription drugs combined with Claritin? How many possibilities are there that one would test positive for with that combination? However, Mayfield can salvage his reputation with NASCAR fans by owning it, making some amends and promising to be a better man. It’s a country song cliché, but those themes are universal and appealing to most people.

Denying and lying just make you look sleazy and any hopes of a future career in the sport have officially come to a screeching halt if Mayfield continues this course of action.

NASCAR Drug Suspension Fallout

The Jeremy Mayfield v. NASCAR battle continues.

Mayfield was suspended May 9th for failing a random drug test. Neither NASCAR nor Mayfield’s attorney, Bill Diehl, identified the substance. Diehl hinted that legal action might follow regarding the validity of the drug tests.


Mayfield and NASCAR have two different explanations for the positive test which NASCAR considers a “serious violation” of their substance abuse policy which was categorized as a performance enhancer or a recreational drug. A person familiar with the results said Mayfield did not test positive for performance enhancer.

Mayfield claims the positive test stems from a mixture of a prescription drug with over-the-counter allergy medication Claritin-D. Dr. David Black, administrator of NASCAR's drug testing program and CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., has repeatedly rejected that explanation.

Mayfield’s best course of action is to own it and move on. Make amends, get the proper help he needs and then get back out on the track. If anything, a stint in drug rehab would make him more appealing to NASCAR fans that his current persona. The longer everyone lets this substance remain a mystery, the more people speculate, further harming Mayfield’s reputation.

It’s not like the driver had a lot going for him recently. Mayfield, who turns 40 next week, has been out of steady work since his 2006 firing from Evernham Motorsports and self financed the creation of Mayfield Motorsports this season. This latest development could spell the end of Mayfield Motorsports.