NASCAR Calls Mandatory Meeting For Sprint Cup Drivers, Owners
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Helton (l), France Will Attend Meeting To
Discuss Issues That Drivers, Owners May Have |
NASCAR has "called a mandatory meeting for all Sprint Cup drivers and team owners for Tuesday morning" at its Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. NASCAR Managing Dir of Corporate Communications Ramsey Poston said that it "would be a town hall-type meeting to discuss the state of the sport." NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France and President Mike Helton "will attend to answer any questions." Poston: "We'll discuss anything they want." Newton reported speculation in the garage was that the meeting is to "clear up the confusion created" by team owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield's indefinite suspension for violating NASCAR's substance-abuse policy. Poston said that any questions about the drug-testing procedure "will be addressed," though he added the timing of the meeting around the Mayfield incident was "coincidental" (ESPN.com, 5/21). In Charlotte, Jim Utter cited sources as saying that officials during the meeting also want to "solicit ideas on how to improve the quality of competition as attendance at races and TV ratings have fallen." While attendance at the meetings is "not mandatory," NASCAR officials said that it is "strongly encouraged" (THATSRACIN.com, 5/21).
MEET & GREET: NASCAR SCENE's Bob Pockrass reported Mayfield and his attorneys met with NASCAR VP/Operations Steve O'Donnell, Dr. David Black, who administers NASCAR’s drug-testing program, and NASCAR attorneys "for about an hour Thursday afternoon but did not come to a resolution of the issues over" suspension. Poston said that Mayfield is "still indefinitely suspended." Poston added there is a "very well-defined process" that Mayfield must meet and if he "successfully completes that, he can seek reinstatement from NASCAR" (SCENEDAILY.com, 5/21). Mayfield's attorney Bill Diehl "did not say what his next move will be but strongly hinted at taking legal action Friday that will challenge the suspension and the validity of the drug test." But some NASCAR drivers "wondered what a potential lawsuit will accomplish." Driver Greg Biffle: "The harsh reality of it is when a test comes back positive, there's not a lot of bickering about it. It's black and white" (ESPN.com, 5/21).
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Mayfield, Lawyers Talk
With NASCAR |
WAS MAYFIELD SUSPENDED PROPERLY? Diehl in an interview on Sirius XM Radio's "Sirius Speedway" program prior to Thursday's meeting said discussions between the two sides had "focused on whether or not Jeremy was suspended properly." Diehl: "There are some side issues. They've said a lot of unpleasant things about him that Jeremy doesn't believe are true. There's a separate remedy for that kind of behavior." Diehl said "some type of acknowledgment that what happened was a mistake" would be necessary for NASCAR to avoid a lawsuit. Diehl: "We can't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. They've said it. They've suspended him. ... Somebody is going to have to come forward and acknowledge that, well, we thought we did what we were supposed to do, maybe we made a mistake" (NASCAR.com, 5/21).
NO TIMETABLE FOR ACTION: ESPN.com's Newton said Mayfield and his attorney "don't have a timeline" at this point, though they claim they are "probably going to move as fast as they can." Newton: "As long as Jeremy's out, it hurts him and his team, his reputation. He needs to get back in the car and make money for that team. He feels like he's the best person to be in there" ("NASCAR Now," ESPN2, 5/21).
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