Mayfield' s Map to... Daytona

Each week throughout the season, Jeremy Mayfield and his wife, Shana, share their memories of that weekend's racetrack -- and the happenings around it.

This week: The Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway

Q: Did you ever consider walking over to or from the airport? Or does Buster, your coach driver, always pick you up with the buggy?

Jeremy Mayfield: We've walked after the race, from the track to the airport. Our planes are positioned on the other side of the airport -- the other side of the runway, not this side -- so we had a long walk.

Eventually, we got a ride, because it was a mess. It was after the race and we were hot, tired and ready to go home. To end up having to walk to the airport over there (is a bit much) -- because it's a long walk.

	Shana and Jeremy Mayfield
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It looks like it's just a hop, skip and a jump; but it's a pretty good ways over there.

Shana Mayfield: Especially in heels. It wasn't so nice in heels.

Jeremy: When you've got a couple of bags and everything, you're saying, "OK, this is the last time this will happen."

Shana: Usually the policemen in Daytona are pretty nice and they'll give us an escort out. When we land, we usually have a rental car -- or a dealer car from Dodge.

So we're very fortunate in that. Buster usually doesn't have to do too much either, before or after the race, as far as taking us anywhere.

Jeremy: Buster pretty much has it made. He just kicks back and brings the coach there. He doesn't have to worry about us getting there.

He takes us to the heli-pad sometimes when we fly to other places. But Daytona's pretty good about that.

Q: Speaking of Buster, have you gotten any closer to getting him his pet orangutan?

Jeremy: Yeah, we're working on that right now. He's not real enthused about it and I don't know why.

Shana: I think we're going to have to get him an orangutan to keep up with laundry and cleaning and that kind of thing.

Jeremy: Whatever it takes. I think the orangutan would keep him in shape because he seems to lose, like, all my shirts -- you know, every weekend.

There have been several weekends that I've gotten here and I'll go, "Buster, do you have my shirts?" Because he takes care of all that stuff on the coach -- and they'll be gone.

I think he's trading them for something, or doing something with them. So we're going to have to get him that orangutan to straighten him out.

Shana: Mmm-hmm.

Jeremy: The good thing about the orangutan -- we found one but it was too big. It was a big orangutan and it was aggressive.

We didn't want him to be driving down the road and all of a sudden to have the orangutan pop him up the side of the head.

Shana: And wreck our coach.

Q: Or put his hands over his eyes?

Jeremy: Right. It was a male, and I don't think Buster wanted any part of that one.

Q: You mentioned dealers' loaner cars. Has that given you the opportunity across the country to make new friends?

Jeremy: Yeah, we have, and I'll tell you what. The Dodge dealers -- all the dealers across the United States -- have just been absolutely fantastic.

They've really bent over backwards for us, as far as giving us cars. We've tried to do everything we can to do our best for them. But it's hard to top that, because they do a lot for us and we appreciate that.

And one of the things they do is always make sure we have the newest, and latest Dodge vehicles waiting on us at the airport. We don't always get a chance to thank them, but I'd like to take that chance right now to say "thank you" to all of them because they do take care of us.

Shana: And I want to say I'm sorry for any dog hair or anything left in the cars -- because Izzy and Mattie enjoy riding in the Dodge vehicles so much, too -- that we have to bring them.

Sometimes we don't have an opportunity to clean them out like we should, so if there's any dog hair or anything like that in there I want to apologize for that right now, to all the Dodge dealers.

Jeremy: There might have been a Bulldog or two left in one of the vehicles.

Shana: But they enjoy it -- they love riding.

Jeremy: And they advertise for them, too. Our dogs are huge Dodge fans. We ride around with the windows down and everybody looks at the nice Dodge vehicle with a Bulldog hanging out the window.

Shana: And Izzy likes to wear her Dodge cap, especially when she's chilling out.

Jeremy: She supports the local Dodge dealers.

Q: Are you locked into the motorhome lot -- or is it a temptation to stay down on the beach? When did that transition occur?

Jeremy: We were down the beach all the time when I started. But I don't know when it happened. I'd say probably six, seven years ago maybe.

Indide the Numbers Jeremy Mayfield at Daytona Event Date Start Finish 02/20/2005 24 23 07/03/2004 16 22 02/15/2004 22 25 07/05/2003 10 8 02/16/2003 20 8 07/06/2002 42 13 02/17/2002 28 39 07/07/2001 41 17 02/18/2001 38 9 07/01/2000 38 43 02/20/2000 19 11 07/03/1999 20 25 02/14/1999 6 20 10/17/1998 25 4 02/15/1998 13 3 07/05/1997 31 13 02/16/1997 21 6 07/06/1996 24 27 02/18/1996 14 19 07/01/1995 35 32 02/19/1995 29 35

When we first got the motorhome it seems like it became less beach-oriented, I guess you'd say.

That's where everybody used to stay -- all the teams did. Even for testing we don't stay down there very much anymore. There's just no time for you to enjoy the beach.

Really, when we're there now we don't even see the beach.

Shana: I know for the last couple years Jeremy and I have talked about renting a house in Spruce Creek or something, because 10 days in a motorhome is a long time and you start to get cabin fever a little bit.

DeLana and Kevin (Harvick) have a house down there and I think Jimmie and Chandra (Johnson) rent a place. I think to rent a place for 10 days would do he and I a lot of good, too -- just to get out of the track.

Because like he said, being locked-down in the driver/owner motorhome lot -- it's racing, constantly.

Jeremy: The Fourth of July race (Pepsi 400) isn't that bad.

Shane Mayfield: The Fourth of July race, no. But I'm saying during Speedweeks, it's hard some days being in a motorhome so maybe we might do something different next year, or the year after.

Jeremy: Maybe we might take a couple days and just scruff it during Speedweeks and just sleep on the beach. You know, just to see what it's like.

Shana: You'd be sleeping by yourself.

Jeremy: You know, you'd find some sand somewhere and just kinda lay up under the steps of a hotel, or something, and just enjoy the beach.

Shana: Oh God.

Q: I guess the schedule might kill you, but do you guys ever get over to Disney World -- Sea World, Universal Studios or any of the other Orlando attractions? Do you try to match any family vacation time with the July Fourth event at Daytona?

Jeremy: We say we're going to, every year. We say we're going to plan this, this and this for each racetrack, everywhere we go. And Daytona's always one of them.

And then we normally don't do it. We find ourselves, when we go to Daytona...

Shana: Ready to go home.

Jeremy: Yeah, ready to go home. We might go into Orlando. We usually do that about all the time because there are nice places to shop over there, and eat and all that stuff.

There are great hobby shops, to mention a few. It's always cool and we kind of enjoy that, but you don't get much time after you leave the racetrack, anyway.

You've only got a few hours at night, so we just kind of find ourselves sightseeing.

Shana: But afterwards, do we plan a vacation? Come several days early or stay a few afterward?

Jeremy: Oh yeah. We've done that.

Shana: We've been to NASA, where they do the launches.

Jeremy: What we have done is either after the race or before the race; we've gone on vacation and ended up at Daytona. Or leave right after the race and go to the Bahamas, or something like that.

We've done a lot of that, and it seems to work out pretty good.

Shana: We're waiting to get invited on the NASCAR to the Bahamas trip, but we haven't been invited on that, yet. I'm just kidding (laughing) -- that just came out.

Jeremy: That's an owners' deal -- a fun deal that everyone always does. But we're going to try to go down there and get on Felix's boat and try to be one of his -- what's that -- first mates?

He said something about adopting me for a son, after I retire. I'm just going to drive his boat for him.

That would be fun. Jeremy Sabates.

Shana: Thanks for the boat, Felix.

Q: Having been there throughout Speedweeks, what's your take on Daytona's Fan Zone?

Jeremy: It's not as bad as I thought. Every time you change something in our series everybody freaks out: "Oh, my God this is terrible -- it's going to be bad."

But it turned out OK -- it's cool and I think the fans liked it and it's going to be good for the sport, good for Daytona and good for NASCAR.

It was neat. There were a lot of people at the windows into the garages, and a lot of people above us. It let them have a chance to see what NASCAR racing's all about, and overall I can't say anything bad about it.

I think it's good.

Shana: And the café right in the middle -- the Daytona Bistro -- has really good sandwiches.

Jeremy: I think they did a great job with that.

Q: Would you like to see that concept done at more facilities -- or is twice a year enough for you -- and your guys?

Jeremy: There are some places that have sort of the same concept -- where they let the fans right in the garage area with us.

So what NASCAR's done at Daytona is kept them away from us. They let them get to where they can see us, but they can't get next to us, and that's a good thing, too.

But I think the only place it's going to work is Daytona. That's where it's all at and that's where it needs to be. If you start spreading it out, there you go again.

Shana: It's not unique any more.

Jeremy: It's not unique and it's not going to be a special thing that only Daytona has. So I think the more we see the sport growing we've got to be careful not to let it get flooded.

Shana: We don't want to see everything become cookie-cutter and the same at every track.

Jeremy: I think it's good for a track to have its own little unique thing, and it may be good to only have that at Daytona.

Q: Do you ever get over to Lake Lloyd to go fishing?

Jeremy: We fish over there a lot.

Shana: We fish a lot every Speedweeks

Jeremy: Our guys go over there about every day and it's awesome fishing. I like the place, but the wind was blowing pretty badly a couple of days we were there.

Shana: It's relaxing, boating.

Jeremy: I like going over there after the garage has shut down and meeting my guys over there. We fish and have fun.

Q: Have you visited Daytona USA? What's your take on that place?

Jeremy: I think it's cool -- neat.

Shana: We go every year because Dodge always has a cool party -- a get-together for all the Dodge drivers.

Jeremy: I think it's great for all the fans to be able to come in and see it.

Shana: I just want to see Jeremy's car in there one year -- after he wins the Daytona 500. That's the only thing that's lacking -- is the 19 car.

Jeremy: When the 19 car sits there for a year, you can say that we really love the place.

Q: A lot of our fans are current-day fans, so is it important to give them a perspective on the sport's history?

Jeremy: I think it does, but unless they're familiar with the history of the sport, I'm not sure they see it like I see it -- or like you see it, you know?

Even Shana doesn't see it. She doesn't remember the Darrell Waltrip days, when he was dominant, or Cale Yarborough getting out of his car with black all over his face.

Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott racing at Charlotte -- that "pass in the grass" -- you know what I mean? I think it's harder for them to relate to that.

Shana: I probably see it in a different perspective than Jeremy does.

Jeremy: Exactly, I mean, I love it when I see David Pearson at the racetrack sometime, because he is the man, you know?

He is one of those guys that never got the credit he deserved, because he is probably the best driver out there. I think there are a lot of people that would agree with that.

And seeing and talking to him -- and watching him race -- a lot of fans could never relate to that -- especially if you've never seen nor heard of him.

Q: Do the dogs like the playground in Daytona's driver/owner motorhome lot?

Jeremy: They want to. They're dying to get in there. Izzy wants to slide down that slide and swing on the swings, and all that -- but she'll get nervous and have to use the bathroom.

Shana: We see a lot of people -- not naming any names -- but we see a lot of people taking their dogs in there to use the restroom.

I want y'all to know if you ever see any poop in there it's not Izzy or Mattie's -- because we don't take them in there.

But it's very cool for all the kids and it looks like a lot of fun. Jeremy and I even like to walk by there at night and go in and slide down the slides, so that's kind of cool.

Jeremy: It is pretty cool that the track did that for the drivers' and owners' kids. I think that it's neat.

Q: That lot seems to be about the best one on the circuit -- is that the case?

Jeremy: It is by far -- all-around, probably the best motorhome lot that we go to. It's as good as anybody's because you've got grass, you've got a yard, you've got a step coming off your motorhome and you've got a sidewalk coming up to it.

You really couldn't get any nicer than that.

Q: Does the development we've seen at Daytona through the years really tell you how much the sport has grown?

Jeremy: Yeah, it does and that's how you realize what is going on. When you see how big the NASCAR headquarters is over there and just how big Daytona -- the Speedway -- really is.

Anywhere you go at Daytona, you see the Daytona 500 -- you see that sign. And you see the flags, and the shirts. Up and down the beach you see it, and even over in Orlando

I think all the stuff they've done at the racetrack, is huge; and I think that tells you how big it really is.

Q: What is Buster's take on the new Turn 1 tunnel? Does he like winding his way through the infield? How does he get along with the fans and is that when he really wishes he had an orangutan, like, for a bodyguard?

Jeremy: He does. I think that is where the orangutan would help him. We found Cletus -- that was Cletus that I was talking about earlier.

I think we need Cletus up there with him, and I think that would help him.

But Buster's a showboat. He's the kind of guy that's going to roll the window down and holler at the fans.

Shana: Especially the women.

Jeremy: Right. He wants people to holler at him, and he waves to everybody and let's them know he is the man.

So I think he likes that -- the fact that he can drive through the infield to get out of the motorhome lot because he likes everybody to holler at him.

He's starting to become famous here in the motorhome lot, just because everybody knows him. He goes by "Shugah." Shugah is what we call him, so everybody knows Shugah.

Shana: So this is the "Shugah Shack" when we're not in it.

Jeremy: So that's what we're afraid of -- our home on wheels is "Buster's Shugah Shack" in the infield at night.

Word Association: Daytona

July Fourth

Jeremy: Hot.

Shana: Fireworks.

Bill France Sr.

Jeremy: Big Daddy.

Shana: Brilliant.

Daytona Beach

Jeremy: Thong bikinis.

Shana: Spring Break.