| By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
August 18, 2005
12:39 PM EDT (16:39 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 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Guys, we're returning to Michigan for the second time this summer, so I've got to ask a compelling question: Have they scheduled the ceremony to present you with the key to the city of Expensive, Mich.? Jeremy: They talked about it, but then they haven't come through with it yet. But then they're talking about it and we're planning on getting it sometime while we're up there, I think. We don't know when. Shana: I don't know -- I've been told by my significant other, here lately, that I need to cut back on my spending habits. So Expensive, Mich., might need to give that key to somebody else, because I don't know how much money I'm going to be spending up there this weekend. But I do want to hit Somerset. Jeremy: Yeah, but if you get the key, it will be free. Shana: But you get the key for spending the most money and I don't think we're going to get there this time. And then there would be all those user fees, right? Jeremy: Yeah, right. That's the problem. Shana: I don't know -- I may have to just lay back and chill out this weekend. But I do want to hit Somerset. What's happening in Somerset? Shana: That's the mall I couldn't remember the name of. That's the Somerset Mall, that's on both sides of the street. Now I remember. Was that the one that you covered only one side of the street last time? Shana: No, I didn't get there last time. I just hit Ann Arbor. But there's a really expensive side to Somerset and then there's, like, the side I need to be going to -- because if I skip the expensive side I'll be all right. Jeremy: The key to that (city) is on the expensive side. Now Jeremy, are you going to get her a map that only has directions to the inexpensive side? Jeremy: I've learned how to do that. I've got this program on the computer where I can change maps up. I can move stuff far away, so it looks like it's 150 miles, or 120 miles -- or whatever -- and she doesn't know it. I can always say, "Well, that's too far to drive." So I've learned how to move my places around on the map to make it (seem like it's) less convenient to get to. Shana: But if I go, I think I'll stay on the less expensive side. I think I can handle that. Even if they cancel the key presentation, when you look at an event like that, does it make you feel like you might have a future in politics -- like being mayor of Expensive -- even though your driving career has a ways to go, yet? Jeremy: Yeah, politics might be a viable career alternative for the future. I'd love to have control of the whole state, you know? I think that would be cool -- whatever I'd have to do, there. I think it would be neat. You want to talk about fun? We'd probably have the best economic record that any state had ever had; by the time I got done there. It would be the funnest place and the coolest place to ever go to. We're not sure what state yet. Shana: Let me tell you a funny story about that. So you're talking about the governorship -- you're not messing around with any mayoral deal, right? Jeremy: Oh yeah -- I'm not talking towns, here. Shana: He's talking about being the president. Jeremy: I'm talking about going all the way. Shana: Well, this is the funny part. He's a Republican and he likes George Bush. So they wanted him to do some stuff, just say some good things about him. Jeremy: That was during the election, or right before it. Shana: So Jeremy said, "We have bad roads out where we live." You know, that's small-town Mooresville (N.C.), Rowan County. So Jeremy goes over and thinks he's going to be something. He says, "I'll do something for George Bush when he fixes my roads out here in Rowan County. Jeremy: It wasn't quite like that. Shana: But he thought he was being bad. So he thought George Bush's big concern was Rowan County roads, before he could do something for him (laughing). Jeremy: The problem is, that somebody's going to get hurt on our roads. If Mr. Bush knew this -- how narrow our roads were -- and if he knew the guy that was giving me the runaround: His name is Chuck White. He's the guy I need to talk to and he's actually the jackman on the 20 car. I've talked to Chuck over and over and over again -- that somebody's going to get hurt on our roads. And the problem is, like, if George Bush knew this, he'd be all over Chuck White. Chuck White probably wouldn't have a job, you know? So, somebody's going to get hurt on our roads, and I just want them to be fixed and I figured that would be a good way to get it done. Shana: But guaranteed, before he can do anything for George Bush, George Bush needs to call him. So George, if you're reading, make sure you get in touch with us in Rowan County to fix our roads. You never can tell when you might have to have a favor and you can call it in, right? Jeremy: Right. It's always good to have a little favor from the President. Shana: If not, Jeremy's taking your job, so watch out. Jeremy: That would be cool -- "Mayfield for President." I'll tell you, I could offer a lot of good tax breaks for all the Americans. That's a start. Jeremy: Right. First thing, I'd just cut all taxes. Luckily, you're not planning on quitting driving in the next year or three. Jeremy: Right. I'd have a straight-up percentage -- 10 percent of everything you make, and that's it for taxes. What do you think, Americans? Shana: Mayfield for President. Let's tie up some loose ends here. Who was the winner of the Izzy Belle 200? Jeremy: Well, we had a little problem that weekend. It was an off weekend and a lot of our competitors ended up going different places and stuff. Ray (Evernham) was around, but he didn't make it. Shana: Ray was up in (New) Jersey. Jeremy: Yeah, he kind of left and went on vacation. It was so funny that by the time we're having a big race -- Ray doesn't show up. But I understand, it was vacation for his family and all. But he didn't show up, that's the bottom-line and so that was one car missing there. But we did go ahead and run a few races and I think I won one out of the two races. And another guy, Shane, won the other one. But there was only two cars in the race, so it was either one of the two of us that were going to win. A lot more competitors didn't show up. I guess exercising the dogs, as the unfair advantage wouldn't work in that case, would it? Do they kind of visit other teams' pit areas and show their teeth a little bit if you're getting beat-up on? Jeremy: Oh yeah. Izzy will keep her eye on who's running good and who's not. And that's where you'll see her. Whoever's running good, you'll see Izzy over there. She'll do a little side job for me, and they'll come out in the feature and run out of gas. They get all kind of stuff like that. She's not too bad. She just knows how to help her daddy out pretty good. Matt-Matt she's just cool and along for the ride, here. Shana: And the new one, Zoë, she's a mess. Jeremy: We got our little baby, the miniature Bulldog, now too. Shana: We picked up our miniature on our week off and she was in the middle of everything. She eats all the scrap metal and the slugs and worms out on the racetrack. Jeremy: She eats anything. Shana: Instead of the jet dryer they have on the racetrack to clean up all the debris -- she eats it all. Jeremy: She ate a chain tensioner. That's like a little skate wheel, off one of our cars. She ate it. How was her first race trip -- I understand she went to the Brickyard? Jeremy: She did good. She had fun. She had a blast. She played with Biffle's dogs and all the others. Shana: She played with DeLana's, and Kurt Busch's dog. You think puppies sleep a lot? This dog is so nocturnal. She's funny, because she was born on Jeremy's birthday. And she's so much like Jeremy because she's her best at night. She really comes alive during the night, so it's pretty funny. But she's a sweet dog. We don't have her here with us this week, obviously -- she got into the cat food at home and kind of got an upset stomach, so Madeline's keeping her this weekend. Jeremy: She ate, like, two gallons of cat food I think (laughing). Shana: And she only weighs but eight pounds (laughing). Speaking of Michigan, Shana, are you going to get Jeremy out for some putt-putt, finally? Shana: No -- he's so scared. He's sitting here talking about Ray not showing up and giving Ray a hard time. At least Ray's out, spending time with his family. Jeremy's scared to death to show up at the putt-putt course. He wants to talk about everybody else. But we pass them by and I'll say, "Let's stop" -- and he's like, "I don't feel like it" and "We don't have time." Maybe he ate too much cat food? If your stomach's upset, that can be a problem. Shana: He's just scared. Jeremy: The thing about it is, there are a lot of cool places to play at Michigan -- and they're cool places, with the windmills turning, and you knock your ball through the windmill and all that junk. But the last time I played her -- really the only time I played -- and the reason I don't play any more, is I won. I mean -- I beat her fair and square. Shana: And how many Mulligans did you get -- 10? Jeremy: But if you can get one, take it -- right? You can't argue with that strategy. Jeremy: The bottom line is, you know who won, and I won. Yes, she gave me several Mulligans, but she gave them to me, so that's the bottom line, you know? Shana: And I still wanted a rematch, but it was "Naw, no, we got to go." Jeremy: She's complained about the Mulligans ever since then, so I'm like, Shana: You won fair and square. Jeremy: I'll tell you what, at Michigan this week we'll go to one of the crazy ones that's got waterfalls and all that -- and we'll let you know what happened, next week. But I'll tell you right now there are no Mulligans for either one of us. I'm serious -- I'm going to win. Shana: He just doesn't know I used to play golf. I've played golf. Jeremy: I've played golf, too. Shana: He has not. Jeremy: I'll tell you what -- what we need to do is play the best two-out-of-three -- at three different courses. Just have a championship round and make it long-term. Then you'll have more chances to beat me. Shana: No, we'll play one game. Jeremy: One game, winner wins all. Michigan look out. But I would advise her, because they are close to the road, that when I tee off (look out). Shana: He tees off at a putt-putt course. Somebody was telling me the other day a story about John Daly teeing off somewhere in some pro-am with a putter -- hit it 280 yards. That was pretty stout. Jeremy: Oh yeah, I can hit one 30 yards. For putt-putt that's pretty stout. Shana: The holes are like, eight feet long, if that. That means 30 yards is not going to get you anywhere. That's why he uses all those Mulligans, because he hits them way too hard. Maybe we should go to the driving range, or something. Jeremy: No, we're going straight out to the putt-putt course. And Michigan would be a good place, too. Hey -- did Kid Rock ever make it to Michigan in June? Jeremy: We didn't see him there. We were looking for him, but we didn't see him this time. He's always there, but I didn't see him anywhere. Any idea if he'll be there, this month? Jeremy: We usually never know if he's going to be there -- he just shows up. Shana: He shows up and he's kind of cool. He'll roll in on Sunday morning -- him and his band -- and crack open a beer and just kind of chill out, and start picking his guitar. It's pretty cool. He's always been one of Jeremy and mine's favorite artists so hopefully we'll get to run into him. Jeremy: He'll usually travel all night from where they came from, and go right to the racetrack. Hopefully we'll see him. Shana: He's a really, really nice guy. Jeremy: We saw our buddy Goldberg, though. I was going to ask you what the celebrity sightings have been like around the racetracks, lately? Where was ol' Bill? Jeremy: It was cool. He was at Indy, and it was cool because I haven't seen him or gotten to talk to him for a while. It was funny, because the guy who works on my engines, Tommy Wheeler, the kart man -- and this was so funny. I was walking down pit road right before the race and I see Goldberg. So we're talking a little bit -- and then I turn around and walk a few more feet, and there's Tommy standing by the 91 car, Bill's (Elliott) car. So Tommy starts in with, "You don't know him" and "What are you doing over there sucking up to him?" I said, "Lou, I'll have him come over here and kick your butt." And he's like, "Oh, yeah, whatever" -- you know how Tommy is? So I go over to Goldberg and say, "You see that guy over there? Go take him out for me." Goldberg goes over there and shakes his hand and about the time he shakes his hand he gets him in a headlock and he's bouncing Wheeler up and down. I thought we were going to have to call the ambulance for him. Because I mean, Wheeler was crying like a baby. And then Goldberg had to let him go. It was cool and it was good seeing him again. That sounds like going back to high school and having the school bully as your best friend! Jeremy: Oh yeah -- when you got Goldberg on your side, it's cool. Anytime I just point in the right direction -- whoever I point at, he's going down. Word Association: Michigan Kid Rock Jeremy: It's cool. Shana: America's badass. Sweet corn Jeremy: Buttered popcorn. Shana: My favorite. Driver contracts Jeremy: Got a good one. Shana: Loyalty. | 
