Substance abuse violation
On May 9, 2009, Mayfield was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy. Owing to NASCAR policy, David Black, whose company (Aegis Sciences Corporation) oversees NASCAR's testing program, refused to specify the substance for which Mayfield tested positive, instead saying it was "a drug of concern."
Mayfield stated: "I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over the counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test. My doctor and I are working with both NASCAR consultant Dr. David Black and NASCAR to resolve this matter."
Black disputed Mayfield's claims, stating: "What we have is a clear violation of policy. In my many years of experience, I have never seen a violation like this due to the combination of over-the-counter or prescription products." [24]
However, the week after his suspension, Mayfield stated that he had only taken two tablets of Claritin-D and the prescription drug Adderall, which he stated was prescribed to assist his attention deficit disorder, [16] and that he had never used any sort of illegal drug. His wife, family, friends, fans, crew chief and other team members, drug store receipts, and signed prescription from his care provider backed these claims.
Afterwards, criticism of NASCAR's testing policy became rampant, and several suggested that NASCAR's secrecy over Mayfield's results was politically motivated, so as to not smear the reputation of Claritin, who was a sponsor of Carl Edwards and NASCAR on Fox at the time.
For the Coca-Cola 600 and Sprint All-Star Race Mayfield Motorsports named former Hall of Fame Racing team driver J. J. Yeley as interim driver and Jeremy's wife Shana as the interim owner. [25]
On June 9, 2009, ESPN.com stated that during the random drug screening on May 1 at Richmond International Raceway, Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamine. [26]
A doctor from Florida stated that it was impossible for Mayfield to use the levels of methamphetamine NASCAR claimed he did, or else he would be dead or a chronic user. According to another medical professional in Central Florida, the combination of medications cited by Mayfield has a 15% chance of a false positive being obtained.
On July 1, 2009, US District Court Judge Graham Mullen granted a temporary injunction, lifting Mayfield's suspension. Mullen concluded that the "likelihood of a false positive in this case is quite substantial." In granting the injunction, Mullen ruled that the "harm to Mr. Mayfield significantly outweighs the harm to NASCAR". [27] Even with the injunction, Mayfield was forced to sit out the Coke Zero 400 and LifeLock.com 400 for want of a sponsor. [28]
On July 15, 2009, NASCAR stated that Mayfield had again tested positive for methamphetamine during testing conducted outside of a NASCAR event, at and by entering Jeremy Mayfield's home on July 6, five days after his suspension was lifted. Mayfield continued to deny ever using the drug, and to account for the results by proper use of the OTC drug Claritin D combined with prescription treatment including Adderall. [29] Additionally, Mayfield took a drug test 40 minutes after NASCAR's, this time administered by and at a certified drug-testing laboratory not affiliated with NASCAR, and it was negative.
Lisa Mayfield, the widow of Jeremy Mayfield's father, stated that she was his mother and had seen him use methamphetamines many times since 1998. Jeremy Mayfield rejected these allegations; refuting statements cited the inability for Lisa to have adopted an adult, and adoption being a condition for the claimed relationship. Lisa Mayfield later trespassed on Jeremy's property and assaulted persons whom she found there, resulting in the arrest of Lisa Mayfield. [30] The disputes were settled out of court, and Lisa Mayfield withdrew her claims concerning Jeremy Mayfield.
A federal appeals court reversed Mayfield's injunction on July 24, 2009. On May 18, 2010, Mullen threw out Mayfield's suit, saying that Mayfield waived his right to sue NASCAR for defamation, when he agreed to take part in NASCAR events. Accounts and documents submitted for the case between the two dates, are public record and can be found on PACER.
Mayfield could theoretically return to NASCAR if he completes NASCAR's "Road to Recovery" treatment program and submits to drug testing with a non-WADA-approved lab belonging to Black, the only lab accepted by NASCAR at the time (NASCAR has since replaced their approved drug testing lab in 2017). [31] On the January 8, 2013 episode of the MRN radio show NASCAR Live, hosted by Eli Gold, then-NASCAR CEO Brian France alluded to other options (in addition to the documented "Road to Recovery" plan) that had previously been discussed outside of public knowledge, when Mayfield reached him; these options were not clarified publicly. On the show France continued with statements that Mayfield must follow examples of other re-instated drivers that, as of June 28, 2016, are not participants in NASCAR. Mayfield is adamant about his innocence from NASCAR's charges. In an interview with Sporting News in 2014, Mayfield said he was willing to take a drug test "as long as I can pee in a cup for LabCorp or some other credible lab." [32]
