The Jeremy Mayfield vs NASCAR saga might be over

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen ruled to dismiss Jeremy Mayfield’s lawsuit against NASCAR. According to Mullen, Mayfield’s signature of two documents to participate in NASCAR as a driver and an owner, waiving his rights to sue the sanctioning body.

“Plaintiffs thereby waived their right to pursue their claims for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, and negligence,” Mullen wrote in his decision. “Plaintiffs’ claims are hereby dismissed.”

Mayfield’s wife, Shana, did not comment on the ruling and told reporters that the couple’s attorney Mark Geragos would speak for them, however, Geragos did not respond to telephone calls or e-mails asking for comment.

NASCAR was extremely happy with the Mullen’s ruling, releasing a statement that read: “The U.S. District Court’s ruling is a powerful acknowledgment and affirmation of NASCAR’s rulebook and its ability to police the sport. NASCAR has been very clear with its competitors as to its policies and what is expected of them. NASCAR’s comprehensive substance abuse policy, which is among the best and toughest in all of sports, serves the safety of our competitors and fans.”

Mayfield has claimed since last year that his positive test came from a mixture of prescription Adderall and an over-the-counter allergy medicine. NASCAR says Mayfield’s positive test was for methamphetamines.

For editorial purposes, I must admit that I was rooting for Mayfield the entire time. In three years of studying various aspects of American law and order through the lens of journalism and the media, I’ve learned that according to the U.S. Constitution, we as citizens of this country have a right to a fair trial. Did Mayfield get a fair shake? Was he guilty going into the trials because of the negative publicity he received prior to the trial?

Of course there was this tidbit from Mullen’s ruling that makes me think somehow the sanctioning body is once again above the law. “[Mayfield’s] argument assumes that NASCAR and Aegis were required to follow the [federal] guidelines. … They were not,” Mullen wrote. “This Court is not required to accept [Mayfield’s] unsupported and unreasonable interpretation of the guidelines.”

We might never get a chance to find out whether or not Jeremy Mayfield was truly innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Or maybe it’s not over, and Mayfield will appeal the ruling? Then the year-long saga will continue. I’m sure this isn’t the end though.
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Tomorrow should be a national holiday—give the kids a day off school, and let all of our hard working NASCAR fans take a break and celebrate NASCAR Day. I’ll weigh in tomorrow. Until then, have a great Thursday and thanks for reading.