Jeremy Mayfield's do-or-die victory at Richmond in September secured his spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Credit: Autostock

In Review: Mayfield

This is the 11th of our driver reviews for 2004. This month, NASCAR.COM will review the top 20 drivers.

Wednesday: Elliott Sadler

Jeremy Mayfield's goal at the beginning of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season was to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Mayfield and his No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge team did just that -- in stunning fashion, by winning Mayfield's first Cup race in four years -- and soldiered into 10th in the championship.

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While Mayfield scored only the 23rd best point total in the 10 Chase races and never advanced out of the 10th position after he was collected in a wreck at New Hampshire, in the end Mayfield's season was his best in six years.

Early in the Chase, Evernham acknowledged the spark he'd seen in Mayfield this season.

"I think right now Jeremy is as much on top of his game as he's ever been," Evernham said. "His confidence is up (and) he's been fast every time he's in the car."

For Mayfield, ending the lengthy winless drought was special, but he felt it meant a lot more to his race team.

"A lot of guys on that team have never been to Victory Lane -- now all those guys know what it's all about, they know what it feels like and they know they can do it," Mayfield said. "I feel like it was the turning point of that race team, probably the biggest turning point ever."

Evernham, too, considered the Richmond win a season-maker.

"That was probably one of the happiest moments I've had in my racing career because (Jeremy) is a good guy and I know how bad he wanted to win and how much he deserved to win," Evernham said. "To see him finally win in our car, to win like that -- lead the most laps, put the car in the top-10.

Mayfield and team owner Ray Evernham Credit: Autostock

"That was a career day for Jeremy, and it made me feel real good to see that for him as a friend."

The professional impact for Mayfield was immeasurable, as well.

"With any athlete, I think that put Jeremy in a whole different class," Evernham said. "People have got to look at Jeremy in a whole different light right now. He's got to look at himself in a different light.

"He stepped up at the big game -- the final shot right on the buzzer and he and his team performed flawlessly."

With his fourth career victory, five top-fives, 13 top-10s and only three DNFs, Mayfield stepped up to the next level.

While it might not have seemed like it, Mayfield had a consistent season in which he did pick up his pace when he had to. He had 11 top-20 finishes in each half of the schedule, but did have more than half of his top-10s in the second half, when he scored the sixth best point total of all drivers.

Remarkably, Mayfield rebounded from his lowest point in the second half standings, 14th after California Speedway, to lead the most laps and convincingly win the next weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

The victory was the fourth of Mayfield's career and came in one of nine races he led this season.

Evernham was satisfied with Mayfield's effort in 2004, and the team's progress.

Credit: Autostock

"It's not like we are a 20-year team -- we're a fourth year team with one guy that's a rookie who had never seen some of these places in a Cup car, and he almost made (the Chase)," Evernham said. "We've got more top-fives, more top-10s, more laps led, more poles, more everything except in the win column and I think our sponsors have been ecstatic."

In the Chase, Mayfield completed only four of the 10 races -- after completing every lap in 17 of the first 26 events.

"The luck has been bad, but we're still a good race team," Mayfield said. "I can tell you we've still got a great attitude -- we're not disappointed in what we've done this year (because) we've had a great year.

"As far as attitude, nothing changes at all. If anything, it has made us a better team with a better attitude."

Mayfield doubled his Bud Pole production from a year ago by winning both poles at Dover. Additionally, he had a stretch of 15 consecutive races, from New Hampshire through Atlanta, in which he started in the top-13.