Special Commentary: Cup Archives - Page 15 Of 18

Enough Already: Jeremy Mayfield’s Latest Failure

November 29, 2020July 15, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

Jeremy Mayfield has tested positive for methamphetamine use, according to the latest sample collected by NASCAR. And no, this is not in reference to the test that Mayfield originally failed in May.

He failed another one.

A urine sample collected by NASCAR technicians on July 6th at Mayfield’s home returned positive for meth use. The sample was collected as NASCAR technicians directly observed (Mayfield gave the sample with his pants down and shirt pulled up), leaving no doubt as to its validity.

Jeremy Mayfield Injunction a No-Win Situation for NASCAR Racing, Drug Testing

November 25, 2020July 1, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

Guess who’s coming to Daytona? That’d be none other than formerly-suspended Jeremy Mayfield. With high-powered attorney Bill Diehl backing him up, Mayfield was granted a temporary injunction that will allow him to return to competition as early as this weekend’s races in Daytona Beach. And while Diehl was quick to label the court’s finding in …

Petty & Earnhardt (Possibly) to Toyota? The Times They Are-a-Changin’

November 25, 2020June 23, 2009 By Frontstretch Staff

Rumors are just rumors and this time of year sees the mill turn the most. Two weeks ago, Richard Petty Motorsports announced a partnership with Braun Racing to field entries in five Nationwide Series races with drivers Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne. The Braun team runs Toyotas, so, despite the press release not mentioning the …

Throw the Businessmen from the Train: Kentucky Speedway Deserves a Cup Race Now

November 24, 2020June 15, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

The soap opera circling around Kentucky Speedway and the track’s attempts to land a coveted Sprint Cup race date has become a fixture of the NASCAR rumor mill for years now, and I for one would love nothing more than to see this stupid white-collar fight between businessmen end. NASCAR for once is in the …

Is Catching Mayfield Enough? NASCAR Should Have No Restraint When It Comes to Drug Testing

November 20, 2020May 11, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

Just as Major League Baseball’s new era of drug policing caught perhaps its biggest name yet in Manny Ramirez, just last week NASCAR’s enhanced drug testing policy snared the most notable driver in recent memory for substance abuse in Jeremy Mayfield, a two-time Chase contender and current Sprint Cup owner. After the positive test was announced just prior to Saturday night’s race at Richmond, the veteran has been sidelined indefinitely and prevented from even associating his name with the No. 41 Toyota he’s driven since February.

Crew Swaps Treat Symptoms, Not Disease, for Nos. 07, 29 Teams

November 18, 2020April 22, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

After a thoroughly disappointing start to 2009 for the No. 07 and No. 29 teams, two operations that secured Chase berths in 2008, news broke today that owner Richard Childress has swapped the crew chiefs and crews of both teams in an effort to improve chemistry and performance on the racetrack.

Jimmie Johnson, Martinsville Prove It’s the Drivers That Have Changed – Not the Racing

November 15, 2020March 30, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

Jimmie Johnson won at Martinsville. Nothing’s changed, right? Wrong. The last two races on the Sprint Cup circuit prior to Sunday had showcased drastic changes to the sport, and none of them have been completely well-received. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s new race car proved to be a continuing nightmare for tire development, as the majority of drivers in the field spent the day struggling to find grip on a track notorious for being one of the friendliest in terms of offering multiple grooves for drivers to make a fast lap. Said Jeff Gordon of the new car/tire package, “I will challenge any tire manufacturer out there to build a tire for this car at this racetrack. It’s impossible.”

Is 2009 the Re-Emergence of the Single-Car Team?

November 12, 2020March 4, 2009 By Bryan Davis Keith

Maybe it’s just a fluke streak of performances early on in the season, a product of two of three races featuring higher than average attrition – or maybe the CoT and testing prohibitions are starting to level the playing field a tad. But whatever the cause, 2009 has so far showcased a level of competitiveness from single-car teams that the Cup ranks have not seen in a while… and this is excellent news for the sport on a variety of levels.

Drivers Take Turns Trying to Solve Rained-Out Qualifying at Atlanta

May 6, 2022October 27, 2008 By Frontstretch Staff

HAMPTON, Ga. – Rain came in droves at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, meaning that on-track activity was at a minimum. This means that qualifying for the truck and Cup teams couldn’t take place, and practice time for the two series was almost non-existent. The clouds parted midday, giving track crews time to dry the …

Jeff Burton a Title Contender to Some, a Man of Character to All

May 1, 2022October 9, 2008 By Bryan Davis Keith

CONCORD, N.C. – As the first press conferences of the day from Lowe’s Motor Speedway unfolded, no one was surprised to hear the recent controversies of Talladega repeatedly mentioned. Be it the yellow line pass of Regan Smith or Carl Edwards’s bump-draft that took out two fellow Roushketeers, there was certainly plenty to ask about …