Mayfield's Map to ... Atlanta

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 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

We're on a roll here -- so do you drive to Atlanta or fly down?

Shana: We fly down, and being that right now we don't have a plane, we're actually flying down in Ray's (Evernham) plane, which is really nice of him to save us a couple seats -- so we're going to fly down.

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It's a short little flight and the plane was starting to get full. Going out to Texas and Phoenix, next is going to be hard because we've had all these short little flights, or short little drives to Lowe's, and Martinsville and now Atlanta.

So getting back on a plane for three hours, or whatever, is going to be tough.

Did you fly "Ray Air" to the test in Texas?

Jeremy: Yeah, we did. We took the (Embraer) Brasilia down there. It was pretty cool because I got to fly with all the guys and hang out with them. That was pretty neat and I always have liked doing that.

Is that a jet airplane or a prop job, because I've flown on Brasilias before, going from Long Island out to Watkins Glen -- or Elmira -- on USAirways?

Jeremy: It's a turbo prop -- a big one, that holds like, 25 people.

Flying in one of those gets you in touch with your aviation, don't you think? You really feel the power of the plane taking off, and in the air you feel a lot more. You get any sensations in that that is like being in a racecar?

Jeremy: Oh yeah. They're cool, man -- they're big and they hold a lot of people, and that's what you've got to have, these days.

It feels a little bit like taking off in a racecar, but not really. Sometimes when you're flying if you hits bumps, or if they have to turn really sharply you feel the G forces, which is a little bit like what we feel.

Shana: I find that I get a little bit light-headed. It feels like your head is going to fall off.

Jeremy: No, it doesn't. It feels good.

Shana: It feels weird.

Jeremy: When you feel G forces like that, in an airplane or in a car, you know you've got some downforce, and that's good, you know?

I thought if you were driving -- you know how there are landmarks everywhere -- so I was going to ask you what you thought of the famous peach in Gaffney, S.C.?

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Shana: Ooh, I've passed the peach, because I used to go to school in Clemson (S.C.). Over there on I-85 I used to see the peach, and I think it's cool.

Jeremy's seen it before -- remember when we went to the outlets, over in Gaffney?

Jeremy: Oh, I've seen it several times. When we would go test down there, I'd usually see it.

You know, I don't want to insult any peach farmers, or anybody else, but I always used to think it looked like a big butt on a stick, setting up there, did you?

Jeremy: Yeah, it does. At first you think it is. You're like, 'Man, somebody's mooning us.'

Shana: Or somebody with an ass-chin?

Jeremy: You're like, 'damn, is that somebody mooning us? Oh, no -- it's a peach.'

In your experience, where does that rate in terms of roadside landmarks?

Jeremy: It's pretty cool to see that. It ranks right up there at the top, of different ones I've seen, you know?

I mean, I don't even know what highway goes by Mt. Rushmore, or Stone Mountain, or something else you'd be apt to see or remember?

Jeremy: I mean, in Owensboro there are some cool landmarks, but not quite like the peach.

Shana: Like what, the Moonlight?

Jeremy: Yeah, the Moonlight BBQ. And there's like the hatchet -- a big old hatchet lying up in a field.

Shana: You're so full of BS.

They don't measure up to the peach, though?

Jeremy: You can go to the Dixie Railroad and see trains.

Shana: I like the peach. The peach is cool.

Jeremy: I've seen a caboose a couple times, in different towns.

Shana: I saw the peach Monday, because I had to go to Spartanburg, actually. I passed it on the way.

You didn't run into David Pearson while you were there, did you?

Shana: I wouldn't know David Pearson if he came up to me.

Jeremy: Oh, my gosh, Shana -- David Pearson, he is the greatest!

Shana: I know he's the greatest, but I don't know what he looks like.

Jeremy: You've seen him -- you've met him before.

Shana: But I don't really remember.

We'd better switch subjects before we peeve any "Silver Fox" fans off.

Jeremy: Yeah, David Pearson, he's the man.

Shana: I know he's the man, I know he's one of the greatest ever -- but I wouldn't know him if he came up to me -- unless (Jeremy) was with me.

Jeremy: Yeah, right.

Shana: I'm not insulting the guy -- I know he's awesome.

From what I understand Atlanta Motor Speedway and the surrounding area experienced a tornado in August, and got a lot of damage. Ed Clark and his staff have done a great job rebuilding the place -- but if you guys had made the calls -- what would you have changed?

Jeremy: I don't know. I like Atlanta, a lot and there's not a lot I would change about it, really.

First of all, they've done a great job, and if they've got that place back together like they say they have -- and I'm sure they do -- that's pretty awesome for them to jump on it like that and to do that amount of work just so we can come back in there and race.

That's pretty cool -- but I don't know what I would change.

Shana: I'd change the schedule this weekend, because I think it's kind of weird to do everything Friday and then nothing else until Sunday. You qualify at night and race in the day.

I don't like these kinds of schedules. I know the reasoning behind it, but it kind of gets everybody kind of out of whack, you know? And I don't like that.

Jeremy: Yeah.

But Shana, with that schedule going on, you're able to go to your high school reunion in Myrtle Beach on Saturday -- so the goofy schedule has one positive. What is the biggest reason you're looking forward to it?

Jeremy: Taking me there.

Shana: To take Jeremy, yeah. I want everybody to meet Jeremy.

And I have so many friends in high school that I just haven't kept up with. I'm just so excited to see everybody, you just don't even know.

It's like, I had so many friends and I've just lost track of them, so you're anxious to see what they're all doing. I just can't wait to see everybody, to see who's had kids, who's gotten fat and who's gotten skinny -- who's done what and made what with their lives?

I mean, I just want to see if everybody's changed, so it's going to be so cool.

It sounds like one night might not be enough to get it all covered?

Shana: Oh yeah, I'll be able to get right in there and in two hours, I'll figure it all out real fast.

What's your outlook on the whole exercise?

Jeremy: Oh, it should be exciting for me to go over there and see all of her friends -- not really knowing anybody. I'll probably be sitting over in a corner by myself.

Shana: Nooooo. You know that friend of mine who came to a race -- he'll be there.

Jeremy: Yeah, OK. I know that one guy from one time. It should be fun, I'm gonna dance and do all kind of stuff.

Shana: He'll embarrass me with his dancing (laughing).

Jeremy: Yeah, I'm going to make her proud.

Shana, is this one of the toughest places to hang at the track -- with Atlanta so close?

Shana: Not really, because I like to go down to Buckhead and to Lenox -- and that's a pretty good drive so I don't really do it. It's not really like it's that close, good shopping-wise, so I don't mind hanging out (at the racetrack) in Atlanta. It's pretty good.

Jeremy: I like Atlanta a lot -- I think going to Atlanta is cool. There's all kind of stuff down there, like Huff Furniture. We go by there and check them out.

Shana: Yeah, we love going to Huff Furniture and seeing the Huffs, because they're our friends, but you know, when we do get out it's when we go early.

That's the bad thing about going to Myrtle Beach on Saturday; we could have gone down to see them and gone down to eat at the Capitol Grill, or wherever it is that we eat that's so good.

But we're going to miss that this time but we'll catch up with them next year.

Other than Huff Furniture, what's your favorite thing to do while you're in Atlanta, other than be at the racetrack?

Shana: Shopping!

Jeremy: One time we went to the tractor pulls, down there. We were right out by the racetrack because we were leaving to go somewhere.

Shana: We really did, didn't we?

Jeremy: It was a couple miles down the road and they had a tractor pull going on down there, so we went there one night and it was pretty cool.

Shana: That was fun.

Jeremy: Atlanta always has something going on. It's cool.

Shana: We always like to eat at IHOP, too.

Jeremy: Yeah, they've got a great IHOP there, on 19/41 right up the road from the racetrack.

Atlanta's one of those places with traffic "issues," so what's the best way that you've found to get to downtown Atlanta?

Shana: Speeding (laughing).

Jeremy: Yeah, I got to tell you about my buddy there, Tom Israel. I'd better not say it too loud, but he kinda pulled me over one night, last year.

So we met him and he's become a great friend of ours, now. He's not the chief, I don't think -- but yeah, he might be the chief.

Shana: I think he's a captain.

Jeremy: He went to eat with us, too -- because we were running a little too fast. I wasn't really running that fast, but he just pulled me over and we got to talking and we've become good friends.

Tell me something -- are you going to make any ceremonial laps on the new Bruton Smith Freeway -- just to celebrate the fact you can use it?

Jeremy: Oh yeah -- that's gonna be cool so I'll definitely do that.

I mean, just go down one side and take an exit and come back up the other way?

Jeremy: Right.

Shana: Where is that?

Jeremy: It goes right from the racetrack out to I-75.

Shana: Shut up!

Just like what you tell me they have at Charlotte -- but you can use this one, apparently.

Jeremy: Oh yeah, that's awesome that they've done that. And that, for sure will be a great thing for them, because Atlanta was always right next to Charlotte for (bad) traffic.

And really, it didn't affect us that much because we always flew out of there, and the airport (Tara Field) is right next to the racetrack, but you always heard from the race fans that they couldn't get out of there.

They'd sit in traffic for hours after the race, trying to get home and I'd have to think it hurt their fan count, too -- as far as (filling) their seats and stuff because a lot of people just didn't want to wait in that traffic.

So they should be good to go, now.

Shana: Plus, the racetrack is so far off the Interstate.

Jeremy: Yeah, but it's not now, because they've got that road straight to it. That'll be cool.

Shana: I know, but before it was out there.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Word Association: Atlanta

Tara Field

Jeremy: Convenient.

Shana: Small. No fog, please.

Speed

Jeremy: Atlanta. Love it.

Shana: Nerve-wracking.

Tornado

Jeremy: I'd see one, but don't want to be in one.

Shana: My closet.