[Team Yates]

Mayfield signs with BDR: Jeremy Mayfield has signed a 3-year contract with options with Bill Davis Racing. BDR will make the formal announcement during a press conference Friday [at Bristol] when the organization will map out it's plans for 2007 and beyond. Team General Manager Mike Brown says Mayfield "Is everything we've been looking for. He's the kind of driver that was available that was marketable. Obviously he's had success the last couple of years winning races and being in the chase. It's exactly what we needed to facilitate a multi-year deal with a new and exciting sponsor." Brown likes the Mayfield-Tommy Baldwin driver/crew chief combo saying "Tommy's spent a couple of years with him at Evernham so he knows what he likes in cars. From that standpoint we've got a bonus there." Mayfield may not race competitively the rest of this season however he is expected to test beginning next week at Kentucky and Nashville.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(8-20-2006)

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Team Yates

Mayfield signs with BDR: Jeremy Mayfield has signed a 3-year contract with options with Bill Davis Racing. BDR will make the formal announcement during a press conference Friday [at Bristol] when the
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Mayfield may not race competitively the rest of this season however he is expected to test beginning next week at Kentucky and Nashville.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(8-20-2006)

He'll have Tommy Baldwin, that's a plus.

However, Jeremy's history is that he does well for a couple of years. After that, if he hasn't risen to the position of the owner's number one driver he gets all pouty, throws a fit and generally makes a jerk out of himself.

I'm sorry that Bill Davis took this route; I think there are better opportunities for the long run than the one he took. But, I could well be wrong. Time will tell. Bill got it stuck in him and broke off in 1993 by Jeffie-Pooh; I hope history doesn't repeat itself with his latest acquisition.

I still think that Jeremy is on a downward spiral toward racing short tracks and not being on the major circuit.

[Quality88]

He's the Terrel Owens of Nascar in a sense.

[Ozzy]

Maybe his new owner will take better care of him. I think he got a raw deal.

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by Ozzy

Maybe his new owner will take better care of him. I think he got a raw deal.

Hey, the Ozzster returns!! Hopefully everything will be better for him over at BDR. Take a lttle vacation, clear his head and get it back together!!!

[Ozzy]

Maybe he can bark at the moon on his little vacation lol.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Ozzy

Maybe his new owner will take better care of him. I think he got a raw deal.

"Raw deal?" I'd appreciate hearing your version of this, Ozzy. I've heard Mayfield's side of it and, to me anyway, he came off like your typical chronically complaining employee. Maybe you've heard someone report something which I haven't heard?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

He's the Terrel Owens of Nascar in a sense.

Terrel Owens??? Is this someone I should know?

[Ozzy]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

"Raw deal?" I'd appreciate hearing your version of this, Ozzy. I've heard Mayfield's side of it and, to me anyway, he came off like your typical chronically complaining employee. Maybe you've heard someone report something which I haven't heard?

I heard that at the beginning of the season, Kahne got Mayfield's team.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Ozzy

I heard that at the beginning of the season, Kahne got Mayfield's team.

Good point, Oz. That is an undeniable truth. However, this was done at the behest of MOPAR (Everham's boss) who wanted their rising star and the driver they're most heavily invested in due to the court fight with FoMoCo, Kasey Kahne, to have the most senior crew chief Everham had available. Everham says that all three teams have access to everyone's data and set-ups, and I don't doubt that, based on Rigg's record.

Instead of sucking it up, Mayfield continued a trait he has demonstrated through two previous owners (Sadler and Penske). He got mad, voiced his displeasure publicly, and just generally became a pain-in-the-ass.

What has made this last episode of Jeremy's career more venomous is:
(a) In July he went public accusing Everham of not being in the garage all the time and not coming to every Cup race. (Funny, we don't hear Penske and Ganassi drivers complaining about this, ands their owners are guilty of these infraction on a regular basis) If Mayfield wants to run a race team, why doesn't he buy his own?
(b) At the last Pocono race, Jeremy complained again, just prior to the race. Then he came into the pit complaining opf a flat tire, which was not found. This dropped the team to 35th in point standings.
(c) The following week, at Indy, he slowed on the track to let traffic clear him, then slammed the wall, twice if memory serves. This led to a 41st place finish, dropping the team out of NASCAR's magical top 35.

The last two led Ray to put Elliott in the seat for Watkins Glen and again we hear Jeremy whail, "Why me? It's all so unjust!"

Now he's making public some alledged "relationship" with Erin Crocker? Let's see...Kasey's car runs well. Riggs car does pretty well considering he has a bit lesser skill level than Casey. With Mayfield's years of Cup experience, shouldn't he be able to perform at least at a top 20 level? (This year his avg finish is 27.2 -NASCAR.com) So, what does Ray's "relationship with Crocker have to do with Mayfield's situation?

I predict that in three years we'll be hearing the same song from Jeremy at BDR. Too bad. Bill Davis deserves a better driver than one who performs in such a way that there are allegations of him "throwing" a race.

OK. There's my side. But, intelligent people can always agree to disagree.

[LSC9901]

It seems to me that when you lose the bulk of your team as Jeremy did in the beginning of the year it is going to have an effect on your performance. I have never felt that he was a top rated driver but I can understand some of his frustration over his inability to score well. When you are doing poorly due to changes by management it is not at all uncommon to lash out at management. When management isn't visible it is just another justification (for Jeremy) for his anger.

[Ozzy]

I do not believe that the relationship w/Evernham and Crocker is alleged. I also believe that someone who makes the chase for the last 2 yrs deserves better than he got. The only Evernham car to make it. Who has more $$ in our world, the boss or employee?

My opinion is - Jeremy got a raw deal. Nothing anyone says can change that. His team did poorly and management didn't help. I'm not a Mayfield big fan but I am now.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Terrel Owens??? Is this someone I should know?

Bob, are you yankin my chain.... Owens is an A$$ of a player, that when things don't go his way he complains, throws temper tantrums, get's in peoples faces, and just plainly disrupts a teams mojo, and the sumb*#$h is doing it to my beloved Cowboys right now

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

It seems to me that when you lose the bulk of your team as Jeremy did in the beginning of the year it is going to have an effect on your performance. I have never felt that he was a top rated driver but I can understand some of his frustration over his inability to score well. When you are doing poorly due to changes by management it is not at all uncommon to lash out at management. When management isn't visible it is just another justification (for Jeremy) for his anger.

Frustration I can easily agree with (MY definition of frustration: The feeling you get when you try to control something you have no control over).

IRT this latest chapter in his life, I find his "airing dirty laundry" to the nedia inexcusable. Ray has multiple teams in different Series' to run and lots of contractual committments to his sponsors to satisfy. I repeat; if Jeremy wants to run a team and tell everyone where HE wants to to be, then maybe he should start his own team? As it was, up until his termination, he was just hired help that was obviously not irreplaceable.

Plus, his alledged "tanking" two races, even if only partly true, is just plain wrong and ... words escape me. If an employee did that to me, their butts would be on the street with absolutely no remorse on this end.

But... Neither Ray nor Jeremy called me to ask my advice so... whatever I think matters not a whit. It's merely one guy's opinion, which I give freely and most think they are worth what they pay for them; nothing. <VBG>

[LSC9901]

There really does seem to be so much to say about this subject and as usual there are many varied opinions. Not currently (or ever) being a cup team owner or driver, I'm sure there are many facets to the business I have no clue about. That is not an opinion but a fact. I never quite understood how Jeremy got into the chase twice. I always figured it was by default and not ability. Yes he has the ability to be in the cup series but I just never saw him as top 10 material.

Airing the dirty laundry is never pretty, even if it is true. The fact remains that Evernham's personal business is not the public business of Mayfield. If Jeremy is upset with his boss then talk about facts that actually pertain to racing. My bosses love life has never affected my job performance. Personally I was always much happier when the boss was absent.

Other drivers have had the experience of being owner/drivers and have not found the job easy. I would have to guess that being a multi team owner and a multi series owner certainly has its pressurers. Possibly enough pressure to keep you away from the team that made it into the chase two years in a row. Maybe Ray's thoughts were that they've done it before so I don't need to babysit them.

Whatever the real reasons are I believe that Jeremy has gotten hurt more from this mess than Evernham Motor Sports has. With his attitude and past history he is just making it more difficult to secure a good ride. We may have another Jimmy Spencer on our hands.


Just my opinion.