| By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
July 14, 2005
11:04 AM EDT (15:04 GMT)
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 New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway Jeremy, Bob Bahre is a NASCAR icon in New England -- How well do you guys know the Bahre family? Jeremy Mayfield: I know Bob, just from knowing him at the racetrack, but what's cool is that I know his brother, Dick Bahre. He's the one who had the race team, Bahre Racing, and stuff. I kind of know Bob through him, and vice versa. But they're great people and they're always accommodating in giving the racers what they need to race with. That's pretty cool that you bring that up, because Dick Bahre actually gave Michael Waltrip his start in Winston Cup racing, back before Dick became partners with Chuck Rider. You got any good Dick Bahre stories, because he did a lot with not too much and had a pretty neat shop he put together down in Statesville, N.C., which started as not much and he built it up? Jeremy: That was one of my first shops that I went to, too. I honestly worked out of his shop for a long time, because when I was with Sadler Racing the Sadlers and Dick Bahre did some joint ventures with Michael. They went to Australia and all that stuff, to race. About that time I started working for them so I was actually working in Dick Bahre's shop for a long time, and that was kind of the reason why I felt I know the Bahres -- or the Bahre family, anyway. New England is kind of an entity unto itself -- so did you have much experience before you raced at NHIS -- and what's your take on the area? Jeremy: It's neat. It's different, because it seems like the climates are always just a little bit off from what ours are, down in the Carolinas. But it's a nice area. The lakes up there are nice and it seems like the people are very receptive to us being there and I think it's neat. It's definitely different, I mean, like we were saying the other week about different places. It has its own personality and its own characteristic of the fans, but they're very involved and they've been good to us, for sure. Shana, that's an area that is somewhat like Michigan in that it's sort of a long way to get anywhere, so have you managed to get very far away from the track? And what's your favorite part of that area? Shana Mayfield: I really don't get too far and I really haven't found too much around there -- except the scenery is beautiful and all that. Shopping-wise, I really haven't found much; but we do go to the mall right up Route 106 in Concord -- and actually bought all our four-legged babies from the pet store at the mall, I think it's Debbie's Petland. It's inside the mall right up there and if you go out of the racetrack and make a left you'll run right into it if you just keep going. I actually got Max, Mattie and Isabelle from there, so every time I go up there I try not to walk in the pet store because there's something that catches my eye. So Jeremy will drop me off at the mall and then he'll walk around and we'll come back together and I'll be, like, "There's something you've got to see." He'll just say, "Go get it -- just go get it." So we've ended up with all our dogs from there because they just have such cute babies in there and we have a hard time (saying no). So I really think this trip is going to be my first trip not going in there and we'll try real, real hard because we've about got our hands full. Jeremy: But it's a good thing we went in there, because we wouldn't have them, now (if we hadn't). Shana: Yeah, it's hard to walk in there and leave them behind, especially because we always go for the ones that have the mushed-in, sad faces and when they're puppies they look even more sad, so we have to take 'em home. So is that a case of where timing is everything -- you didn't necessarily go there looking for a dog, but you went, and they were there and it was perfect? Jeremy: Exactly. Shana: It was, but it's weird because the place could be full of people, and I don't know if it's just my imagination at work, or Jeremy's, but we always felt like they were staring at us. Jeremy: As soon as we walked in. Shana: As soon as we walked in we felt like their eyes were latched onto us and nobody else and we would say, "That's meant to be our dog -- it's meant to be our dog." I don't know if we just weren't trying to tell ourselves that, because they were so pitiful but we brought them home and they've been a blessing. We wouldn't trade them for anything, so maybe if we get up there this time and see another one, who knows? But maybe we won't. I don't know. New England is one area -- like upstate New York -- that is loaded with short tracks and race fans. What's your coolest NHIS race fan story? Shana: I don't know if Jeremy remembers this girl, but I always remember there is always a girl there, who's in a wheelchair. She's there with her family, and every time she always gives us an angel pin to wear. Jeremy always sticks his on his driver's suit and I put it on my shirt. I just think it's so cool because she's so happy and so excited to be there and she's in the garage with all the drivers. I think she gives all the drivers and their wives an angel pin to look after them, and I think that's a pretty cool experience that we've had with her, because she's there every single year. She gets her picture taken and she has her book to show people of all the pictures with the drivers. When you meet people like that it kind of stands out in your mind because it's just something that hits home. It kind of means a lot to you that she's in a wheelchair, but yet she's trying to look out for us and it makes her feel good that she's doing something for us and I think that's pretty special. NHIS has a good driver/owner lot -- but the best thing for you might be the R/C track. You ever worked out some of your cars on it -- and forget Jeff Burton or Kurt Busch -- who's the favorite over at the R/C track? Jeremy: I go up there, but I haven't really taken any of my cars to the track yet. But it's probably got the best R/C track around, anywhere. There and Bristol, by far are two of the best ones, but I haven't really taken any of my cars, though I might take on this time. I always go there and I'm always like, "I should have brought my car." But I hate to show 'em up that bad, so I usually don't bring it. But they've got an awesome R/C car shop there, too. The guys there do a great job, too. You know, car owners usually hire a hot shoe to drive, no matter where they are. You ever step onto the controls of someone else's vehicle there and try it out? Jeremy: Well, no. I guess with R/C cars, though, you'd about have to elbow people out of the way -- kind of like Tony Stewart in that Coke ad, getting his little car run over. It about breaks your heart. Jeremy: Oh yeah -- big time. What's cool about New Hampshire and R/C cars is that there's a company up there called New Era Models, that builds a lot of the quarter-scale cars. They do a great job, too. Those are the big ones that we're talking about, but it just must be something about R/C car racing up there, because all the good stuff is up there. The good tracks and the good hobby shops -- not only hobby shops, but really good R/C car shops that sell a lot of really good stuff. That's what I think about New Hampshire, too. I always say "Man, which shop am I going to hit this week, if I get a chance?" And there are always some good places to go there. I'm not even sure -- but if this is going to be an impound race, you must be pumped-up about that -- it will give you extra time to go shopping?  | | |
| Inside the Numbers |
| Jeremy Mayfield at New Hampshire |
| Date |
Start |
Finish |
| 09/19/2004 |
9 |
35 |
| 07/25/2004 |
7 |
10 |
| 09/14/2003 |
10 |
11 |
| 07/20/2003 |
25 |
34 |
| 09/15/2002 |
9 |
24 |
| 07/21/2002 |
14 |
19 |
| 07/22/2001 |
3 |
39 |
| 09/17/2000 |
17 |
40 |
| 07/09/2000 |
16 |
8 |
| 09/19/1999 |
28 |
36 |
| 07/11/1999 |
31 |
28 |
| 08/30/1998 |
6 |
20 |
| 07/12/1998 |
30 |
30 |
| 09/14/1997 |
27 |
25 |
| 07/13/1997 |
22 |
17 |
| 07/14/1996 |
39 |
36 |
| 07/09/1995 |
15 |
26 |
| 07/10/1994 |
37 |
26 |
|
|
Shana: It is an impound race? Jeremy: I think so. Shana: I don't like those. Jeremy: That means I might have to go look around a little bit and buy me a few parts here and there that I might be missing. Shana: I'd rather he be practicing than be out and around town, shopping. We know you like seafood -- but how about that New England favorite -- lobster? There are a couple lobster restaurants up there near the track, Makris right down Route 106 towards Concord and The Weathervane, up around the corner and down Route 393. How do you compare the two? Shana: They're both pretty good, but Makris is the one that sticks out in my mind of having the better lobster, in my opinion. They have really good lobster and I like that one, better. But they're both pretty good. Jeremy: I'll tell you my funniest story, about lobsters. I always thought lobsters were like the ones you see around here -- I didn't realize lobsters were as big as they are. There are lobsters up there that look like they are four feet long. Shana: And it's hard, too, to walk into a restaurant and see them in a tank. That's the part that I don't like, when you walk in and see them moving and you know you're getting ready to eat them. I'd like to have just a lobster tail instead of the whole face and everything -- with antennas and all that stuff coming out all over them. Jeremy: Man, these are big lobsters. They look like they could take your arm off if you were swimming down there with them. Shana: I just like to get the tail part. Now Makris is a restaurant where I've noticed a lot of race team people in. I once bought a round of drinks for Brett Bodine's table, after he'd had a run-in the week before with Jimmy Spencer at Richmond, and told the server to tell Brett they were from Jimmy and Pat Spencer. You got any funny race people stories in that place? Jeremy: Not really. I'm trying to think, but not really. I know a lot of racers eat in there and stuff, but I can't think of any funny ones. Mooresville has Lake Norman -- but have you ever been up to or around Lake Winnipesaukee? Jeremy: I haven't had a chance to get out on it, but I have been around it. What do they call that area: Weirs Beach? We went by there. I haven't really spent a lot of time up there, but I remember there was a hotel there that I used to stay at all the time before I got my motorhome -- The Margate? I stayed there a couple times. It's on Weirs Beach right there and it's where everybody stays. I know the guys like staying there because they can fish and all that stuff, out back. But when you stay up there, how do you like driving to the racetrack? Jeremy: I know -- that's where that's tough and that's why I like staying in my motorhome, now. That was a long time ago -- probably eight or 10 years ago, maybe. Speaking of traveling, is NHIS a "must helicopter" into and out of venue? Shana: Yes. Not necessarily helicopter into, because we're there already. Jeremy: But out of, for sure. Shana: Thursday night is not too bad. But out of, for sure. Jeremy: That is definitely one of the places that we helicopter out of. Where do you fly into and out of, the airport over in Concord? Shana: Yeah, but it's CONcord. Jeremy: CONquered. Oh yeah, I forgot, it's CONcord up there -- not like ConCORD, N.C. Jeremy: If you say ConCORD up there, they look at you like you've got two heads. Shana: We have ConCORD here in North Carolina, but it's CONquered up there. Jeremy: I think the way they spell it is "k-a-h-n-k-u-r-d". You don't want to get in fights with Ricky Craven over the Red Sox -- especially after you've been to the White Sox game the week before, but have you ever been down to Fenway Park? Jeremy: No, I've never been there. I don't think so, anyway. I've heard about it. Shana: The only baseball game experience we have is when we went to the World Series when the Yankees and the Mets were playing, in New York. That's about the only time besides throwing out the first pitch for the White Sox last weekend -- that phenomenal pitch. Jeremy: Yeah, I liked that curveball. You know what you ought to do while you're up there? I know you were telling crawfish stories a few weeks ago, but they've got some good brooks with crawfish up there, being from that area myself. Jeremy: Oh yeah -- we used to catch 'em in the creek in Owensboro. But I don't know if I'd want to mess with any of those crawfish up there -- as big as those damned lobsters are, you know it? Shana: I know -- really. Word Association Lobsters Jeremy: Red. Shana: Yummy. Red Sox Jeremy: Gold toes -- Aaah, just kidding. Shana: World champions. Yankees. New England Jeremy: Patriots, Super Bowl, Bad to the Bone. Shana: Tom Brady. | 
