Mayfield's Map to ... Texas

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 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Q: Guys, we're getting ready to go to Texas, but before we do, how was the high school reunion in Myrtle Beach, S.C.?

	Shana and Jeremy Mayfield
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Shana: It was fun. I had a really good time even though there weren't as many people as I thought there would be. I guess the turnout was kind of low. But it was fun and I still got to see a lot of people.

I was glad that everybody got to meet Jeremy, and I think it was pretty cool. I think he kind of felt uncomfortable because he didn't know a lot of people, but I tried to introduce him to as many people as I could.

We couldn't stay long because we had to get back to Atlanta, but we stayed about an hour-and-a-half, which was about enough for me to get caught up. But it was neat -- it felt like high school all over again -- seeing everybody. So it was pretty cool.

Q: On a percentage basis, how many people that you thought you wanted to see, did you actually see? Was it 50 percent, less than that or more?

Shana: No, it was probably less than I thought I would. I mean, Jeremy was like, 'God, this is all the people you graduated with?' But a lot of people didn't show up, which was kind of disappointing, so I'd say it was less than 50 percent of the people I really wanted to see, you know?

There were a lot of people that didn't show up that I thought would be there but overall I was glad that I went. If I wouldn't have gone I would have regretted it, because it was pretty fun.

Q: Jeremy, did you go to your last high school reunion?

Jeremy: No, I didn't -- but I wish that I did. That would have been cool to do that and hopefully one day I'll make my 25th, or 35th -- or whatever it is, coming up. But no, I didn't.

I think I was racing, or something that weekend. I forget what it was, but it would be cool to go. That was something I noticed at Shana's -- that it would have been cool to go to mine.

Q: I guess you feel like you've kept up with the people you really wanted to keep up, but all the same it's kind of neat to see what people have been up to, right?

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Shana: It really is, and it's so weird, because my high school friend and my college roommate, Julie -- who is getting ready to get engaged -- is an oncologist now and her fiancé is a cardiologist. It's like, 'God, she's so smart and she turned out to be something that's so cool, you know?'

And I think back to the days when we were crazy and young and doing fun stuff and how she's really done something with her life. And then you see some other ones and you're like, 'Man, they're still doing the same things they were doing 10 years ago.'

So you see the different philosophies. And then they have the different awards that they gave out, like who had the most kids -- and some girl had, like, five kids; and who's been married the longest -- and one girl had been married nine years. I'm like, 'God, we've only been graduated 10 years,' but it was all pretty cool.

Q: That's what I call damn good work, either way -- either nine years or five kids -- that definitely gets a prize.

Shana: Yeah (laughing). I was like, 'Whoa.' That was kind of crazy.

Jeremy: She looked tired.

Shana: She did look tired (laughing), the poor thing.

Q: But as far as racing goes, in previous years, when it got to be about this time, a lot of people would be thinking it was time for the season to be over -- so what's your takes on that?

Shana: It's about time for the season to be over (laughing).

Jeremy: Yeah, but what's funny, and I saw Rusty saying this the other day, too -- in one of his interviews. It's like, we went all year and didn't have any trouble at all -- we had a lot of luck. And then, all of a sudden as soon as we get in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, everything in the world is happening.

Shana: Yep.

Jeremy: And I want to make this clear, too -- if we hadn't of had that tire problem at Martinsville, where we cut a tire down -- and had the trouble with the flywheel at Atlanta -- we'd be about fifth in the points right now.

Shana: Yeah.

Jeremy: Just those two (bad) races -- because that's how close it is. That's what's so frustrating, because those two things were totally out of our control, and then that happens.

Shana: Exactly.

Q: Is this a particularly frustrating period to be in, because you talk about wanting to build momentum for 2006 -- but is three races enough to do that in -- or can you even do it in one race, like at Homestead?

Jeremy: You can even do it after Homestead, during the offseason, you know? I mean, the morale on our team right now is awesome -- it's really up even though we've had the problems the last two weeks.

I've never seen the guys so happy. They were pumped up and ready to go racing, and even to come out of Atlanta like we did -- with a bad day -- they still worked their hearts out and got the car back out there. Everybody was still pumped up when I left there, so I think our morale is going to be up for the rest of the year -- as high as it's ever been.

Q: I guess Texas' standard schedule wipes out any chance of hitting any college football games while you're there -- but is that something you have much interest in, anyway?

Shana: Jeremy doesn't, but I've always been really interested in college football. I've loved it and I love to watch it. But he doesn't really like to watch anything unless they're going round and round -- unless it's like the Super Bowl or the World Series -- where it's the big game -- and then he's all about it.

Jeremy: Or a title fight, or something like that.

Shana: Like something like a Tyson fight. It's got to be a big name or a big game for him to be involved. But I love to watch football. I guess I'm not a big fan of any schools in Texas, but I love watching Clemson football since that's where I went to school and Jeremy and I got to watch some Clemson baseball last year because our friends, the Harveys, their son got drafted. But we don't get to see a lot of football games or go to them. But we'll watch a few on TV, if they're on.

Q: What about South Carolina knocking off Tennessee there, last weekend?

Shana: My dad was so happy, because he went to (South) Carolina -- and I went to Clemson and that about killed him. He couldn't stand it. So he was bragging about that (win) and everything. So I've had to hear it from him -- but I'm proud of them because that's a pretty good accomplishment.

Q: He'll get his, before the season's over.

Shana: Yeah.

Q: Jeremy, you driving a Busch car in Texas -- and what has that experience been like for the two of you? Is it at all a case of extra track time balanced off by extra nail-biting?

Jeremy: No, I'm not running the Busch car. I think, looking back on it now, it was kind of tough for us because it was Rusty's Busch deal, and he wasn't really telling everything that they were doing on the 2 (Nextel Cup) car to the 64 Busch car.

And I couldn't tell anything we were doing on the 19 (Evernham Motorsports' Cup car) to them. So we were kind of stuck, you know what I mean? And it ended up that we didn't run as good as we would have liked to have run, and it just didn't turn out like either one of us thought, I don't think.

There wasn't any particular reason why except that it's just hard when you've got two guys racing for a championship (in Nextel Cup), too and one guy's driving for the other's Busch deal -- it was just weird. But I think next year, where I'm going to run some races for Ray (Evernham) -- I think that will help.

I think that will always help, like the Roush guys do it where they've got their own deal that is their own in-house program and they can learn stuff and try different things. But when you're driving for someone else it's hard to tell them a lot about what you're doing.

Shana: I enjoyed it when he ran, but of course I didn't like it when he ran in the back or if they had problems. But I guess it's been a learning process for Rusty, too, in his Busch deal.

But it was fun in Charlotte for Jeremy to run the Busch car for Ray, because they had a good car and were running good all night -- so that was fun. You always want to run good -- especially when you step back to another series, so it's just been kind of one of those hit-or-miss years with it.

So it hasn't really bothered me much, one way or the other -- but it's just disappointing, of course, when you're not running good but they're both new programs and I guess that kind of comes with the territory.

Q: Last spring when we came to Texas we talked about the Stockyards, in Fort Worth, but coming back for the first fall race in Texas, who's your favorite Texas rancher? I know Terry Bradshaw has got a pretty neat spread over there somewhere near the racetrack.

Shana: We haven't had a chance to visit any places, but when Kim Labonte and DeLana (Harvick) and I went on that breast cancer walk the weekend of the race in Sonoma, we talked about their place down in Texas.

So I guess Terry Labonte is a good Texas rancher, and he and Kim have invited Jeremy and I to come down there sometime. And we really want to go because they have a lot of coyotes and Jeremy is a big coyote hunter. So hopefully we'll get down there sometime.

But I don't know any ranchers otherwise. How about you, Jeremy?

Jeremy: Not really. I think President Bush has got a place down there somewhere, doesn't he?

Shana: But I don't think we'll be invited any time soon.

Jeremy: I think he'd invite us.

Q: With your political connections, maybe so, don't you think?

Shana: He might, right now, because he doesn't have a lot of friends at this point, so he might.

Jeremy: Yes, he does.

Shana: No, He's slipping.

Jeremy: Well, I won't get invited now, so thanks a lot.

Shana: You might.

Jeremy: No, I like him and I think it would be cool to go down there and check it out. I'd like to go out on his ranch and see if we could see some deer and stuff.

Shana: Oh yeah -- and you remember the old show, "Dallas?" I loved watching that. That was so cool with J.R. and all them -- the Ewings -- a typical Dallas rancher with big money, Texas-style. I think that's kind of cool and I'd like to see a house, and a ranch that was really like that.

Jeremy: It'd be fun to live like that.

Shana: Yeah, it would.

Q: You need to get hooked up with A.J., then, I think.

Jeremy: Yeah, he's down there, isn't he -- A.J. Foyt? I tell you what, there are some people I know, Billy Woodruff -- a guy who used to work for us -- but a bunch of his family and friends live down there, because that's where he's from. I think A.J. is his uncle, or something -- his dad, or something like that.

Shana: A.J.'s kin to Billy?

Jeremy: Yeah. Heck yeah. Billy used to work for him, and everything. That's how we know him. We used to go and eat barbecue down there, and I'll tell you one thing -- they know how to cook down there, I know that. And I'll tell you something else. Whenever we go down there, everyone is always nice, so it's a really cool place to go.

Shana: It is.

Jeremy: That's one of my favorites.

Shana: And I have a really good friend that works over there that I don't ever get to see that much, but I always want to see her when I go over there. Her name's Alicia.

Q: You ever been to the Ponder Steakhouse?

Jeremy: Oh yeah -- over yonder?

Q: Yup, it's in Ponder, over yonder, yes sir. I had a real Old West, Texas experience the first time I went there -- a guy was getting thrown out the front door as we came in -- but the steaks and the dove appetizer made up for the rude welcome.

Shana: We went over to some place that was out by Dick's Sporting Goods, or Bass Pro Shops, or Cabela's -- I don't know what's out there.

Jeremy: I went with Ray and them one time to that steakhouse, do you remember?

Shana: That was really nice, but that was downtown. Nobody was getting thrown out the door.

Jeremy: Oh yeah.

Shana: It was really nice, with good food.

Jeremy: I like that old saloon feeling.

Q: If you can talk anybody into it, the Ponder Steakhouse is it.

Jeremy: Now, that's over yonder, right?

Shana: Over yonder in Ponder?

Q: It is. I wish I could remember the name of the route, but it isn't but 15 minutes from the track, going north toward North Texas State.

Jeremy: Yeah, it runs right next to 2, right there?

Shana: Rootin' tootin'? Yonder Ponder on the rooty-toot-toot?

Jeremy: Yeah, that's where it's at.

Q: Does the road system there confuse you at all -- I mean, with the access roads and the goofy exit signs?

Shana: Every road system confuses Jeremy. Every single one -- no matter how many times we've been to a racetrack in the 12 years -- or whatever it is that he's been racing Cup. He still doesn't remember how to get back to the racetrack, no matter where we go.

Jeremy: I do.

Shana: It doesn't matter -- anything confuses him.

Jeremy: Just because I can't tell you the exact roads I turn on, but I go 2.2 miles and make a right, but I know what my sense of direction tells me. Like, I turn by Captain D's.

Shana: Yeah, or Long John Silver's. This is what I'm talking about. He was testing last weekend out there in Bill's car.

Jeremy: Oh yeah, but that is confusing.

Shana: He calls me and says he'll call me when he gets to the hotel. Well, about an hour and a half goes by and he calls me back, and he's like, 'I don't know where I'm at -- I'm really, really lost.' So he couldn't figure out from where he'd been, back to his hotel. And it wasn't even that far (laughing).

Jeremy: I'll tell you where it was at, and I do this every time, at one place where I do get lost. You know where that Bass Pro Shops is, right?

Shana: The big one.

Jeremy: Anyway, it's off I forget what the highway is -- 35, I guess.

Shana: We never know highways.

Jeremy: It's 35, yeah, that goes out by the racetrack. But anyways, if you're not careful coming back from there and you just keep going straight, you're going the wrong way. You've got to turn off and go the totally opposite way. Now, you know that you and I both did that the last time we were there.

Q: All I remember is that one night I left the racetrack -- after dark -- and starting making turns. I drove for 45 minutes and the next thing I know, there's the racetrack, on my right as I go by it.

Jeremy: Exactly. That's what I'm talking about, and that's exactly what I did -- except I couldn't get out of where I was going.

Shana: (laughing)

Jeremy: You know what I mean? I kept driving and went the wrong way. Then I turned around and went back the other way, and you still don't know and you just end up chasing your tail.

Shana: It was funny, though. But I know how to get to the Galleria Mall, now.

Jeremy: Yeah, I can do that.

Shana: I can get you right there.

Q: Where's that -- in Fort Worth?

Jeremy: Yeah.

Shana: They've got some good shopping, there.

Q: So how do you get there?

Shana: I mean, I can't tell you -- you'd just have to get in the car and go with me.

Jeremy: I know where it's at.

Shana: You've just got to go straight and there's a hotel there, and I always try to tell Jeremy.

Jeremy: It's 635, I think, that you've got to get on.

Shana: There's a hotel at the mall and I always want to get Jeremy to stay and then just take a helicopter to the track -- but he doesn't ever go for that.

Q: Way down yonder, past Ponder, right?

Jeremy: Right.

Word Association: Texas

10-gallon hat
Jeremy: Rodeo.
Shana: Spurs.

Longhorn
Jeremy: Boss Hawg.
Shana: Steakhouse.

Dallas-Fort Worth
Jeremy: Who shot J.R.?
Shana: Galleria Mall.