NASCAR: Multiple Witnesses Saw Mayfield Use Methamphetamine

NASCAR says it has "a significant number" of witnesses who will testify to Jeremy Mayfield’s long-term and recent use of methamphetamine.

Attorneys for the sanctioning body said those witnesses are reluctant to testify in the aftermath of disparaging comments made by Mayfield about his stepmother, Lisa Mayfield, after she said recently that she witnessed him snorting methamphetamine approximately 30 times over a seven year period. Mayfield called his stepmother “a whore” and “a gold-digger,” and accused her of murdering his late father.

NASCAR also filed documents with the court Monday claiming that Mayfield lied to a federal court judge when he said a July 6 request that he report for immediate drug testing went directly to his voice mail. The sanctioning body says it has an audio tape of the conversation with Mayfield, in which he was instructed to report to a testing center and submit a sample. Mayfield has testified that he did not hear the message until 40 minutes later, making it impossible for him to meet NASCAR’s two-hour deadline to provide a sample.

The sanctioning body is asking U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen to lift a July 1 injunction that allowed Mayfield to return to racing.

No More Good Hands: Allstate announced yesterday that it will not return as title sponsor of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

The Illinois-based insurance company has served as title sponsor for the last five years, but its contract expires at the end of the year. Company spokesman Raleigh Floyd said the Allstate's decision was not a result of flagging attendance for this year’s event, but rather a desire to expand its Olympic and college football sponsorships. IMS spokesman Ron Green said the track was informed months ago of the decision.

Lagasse Out At CJM: As Sirius Speedway first reported early last week, Scott Lagasse Jr. is out as driver of the CJM Racing #11 Toyota. Lagasse is currently 12th in championship points, but will be replaced by Denny Hamlin in a pair of upcoming events, with a full-time driver to be named later.

Published reports say that Kelly Bires could run some races for CJM later this season, with America's Incredible Pizza Company remaining on the car only through this weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway. The company says it will continue its marketing campaign with Lagasse, prompting speculation that they and Lagasse could move to another Nationwide Series team for the remainder of the season.