The Mayfields: Off week

This week: California Dreamin' about ... Mexico?

Q: That's the glory of being at home, isn't it? You can be between two trips -- California and Las Vegas -- and just put your legs up and relax, right?

Mattie Mayfield: Sknnzzzxxx [snoring].

	Shana and Jeremy Mayfield
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Shana Mayfield: She's so cute.

Jeremy Mayfield: It's those legs in the air -- straight up.

Q: If she weren't snoring, you wouldn't know she was alive, would you?

Jeremy Mayfield: Right -- she just flies around in a jet all the time. She's got it made.

Q: Really, with two West Coast trips in a row, with a break sandwiched in the middle, how was California?

Shana Mayfield: Racing-wise, it could have been better -- Jeremy was a lap down in the Nextel Cup race and three laps down in the Busch race -- but weather-wise and everything else, I think it was nice.

Jeremy Mayfield: I'll tell you what -- we always like going out there, because California's cool.

Shana Mayfield: Yeah, it was cool but what I don't understand is why have a break right now? I mean, we just got on a role and to me. I wish we'd do California and Vegas, back to back and then have a break.

I'm just now getting over my jet lag and I'm going to have to get right back on the plane and get used to the West Coast all over again. That's the hard part, for me, but I understand the reasoning behind it, I guess.

I'm just now getting comfortable with my East Coast time and I'll have to turn around next week and get back on West Coast time.

That's the only tough thing about it, but I love going to Vegas -- don't get me wrong. But I think if we'd have stayed in California and then gone to Vegas for a whole week, we'd have been broke, for sure.

Jeremy Mayfield: For sure we would have been.

Shana Mayfield: At least Jeremy's going up to Cleveland to do an auto show appearance for Dodge this week, so he gets to move around some.

Q: A lot of people have been talking a lot about how the stadium out there was nowhere near full for the Nextel Cup race, so what's your take on that?

Jeremy Mayfield: I'd say we just need to shorten up the grandstands, you know what I mean? That's a big place, man, and filling it up would be tough. I don't know how many people it holds, but the whole infield was full.

	Jeremy Mayfield had a rough weekend at California. Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
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If it holds 92,000 people in the seats, there are a lot of people there and it just doesn't look like it, maybe. Like everything else around L.A., it's huge and you don't really realize how many people are there.

Shana Mayfield: But it seems like, the more we go there, the less people you see there. At least it seems like it's that way to me.

And I think a lot of it has to do with the racing. You read that the TV ratings were down, and all in all the racing wasn't that exciting. It was just kind of a situation where the leaders got all spread out. I read somewhere that you could just set your alarm, wake up and see what was going on, and then go back to sleep.

I don't know. You're getting these cookie-cutter tracks everywhere and you've kind of got to do something to get the racing back into it -- to get it back to where it's exciting again.

Jeremy Mayfield: It's not the track, because you can race there.

Q: Does that irritate you, because I know you weren't yawning and stretching inside your car, so does it irritate you that people say that it's boring?

Jeremy Mayfield: Yeah, it really does, because you want to say, come on and get out there with us and we'll show you boring. But no, I know what you're saying. But it's not the racetrack, though. That racetrack is big enough that we can race three- or four-wide.

Shana Mayfield: But we're not seeing that any more.

Jeremy Mayfield: And I don't know why. It's crazy.

Q: When you see that kind of spectator turnout, is that maybe a case for going places once, and going more places, because you've got facilities in Kentucky, Nashville, the track that Rusty helped build in Iowa is getting up and running?

Jeremy Mayfield: Yeah, I think that's what you might see in the future, that we hit all the big places once, and that's it. You've got to keep the supply and demand working, you know?

Shana Mayfield: And you've to keep the variety working, that spice of life, or before long the interest is going to drop. I read somewhere that two-thirds of the tracks are like Michigan or California. You've got to keep it exciting and you've got to keep the fans interested. If the racing is the same every week, people are going to lose interest fast.

Jeremy Mayfield: But it's still not the racetrack.

Jeremy Mayfield said he could see a lot of people in the stands at Cali. Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Shana Mayfield: I'm not saying it's the racetrack, but something's keeping it to where it wasn't three- and four-wide racing every day.

Jeremy Mayfield: It's awful hard to run three- and four-wide and to race like that when these cars are so aero-dependent.

Shana Mayfield: Exactly. Maybe it's the cars. I don't know what it is, but something's keeping the grandstands from being full and keeping the ratings down.

Jeremy Mayfield: I think you see that in California just because we're going there twice, now. I know it's hard to put a figure on how many people were in the infield, but there were still a lot of people there.

Shana Mayfield: I'm not saying there weren't a lot of people there, but maybe it's a reason to take a look at the idea of going somewhere just once and adding more markets to the circuit, and going different places.

Q: What that might mean is going to Mexico City and going to Montreal. Right now, that would mean adding road races, but I guess you've got the ultimate road racing coach, Boris Said, in-house right now, right?

Jeremy Mayfield: Well, if they started going out of the country, CART did that, didn't they?

Shana Mayfield: I don't think it's that bad of an idea. You always want to hit all the big markets, and going international is the next biggest thing you can do.

Jeremy Mayfield: But then again, Formula One and CART have done that, and CART is not around any more -- at least not the way that it was.

Shana Mayfield: Yeah, but that wasn't because of the markets.

Jeremy Mayfield: But I mean, traveling around is something you have to take a long, hard look at, because it costs so much when you start going out of the country -- it already costs enough as it is. If we start going out of the country too much, it's going to mean a lot of money's getting spent.

Shana Mayfield: Like you say, maybe Montreal and Mexico, but if we start going to freakin' Italy or Japan, that would be too much.

Jeremy Mayfield: Even the Busch race in Mexico, I betcha, costs those team owners a lot of money to go race. When you start adding those races to the schedule, you have to go back to the sponsors and ask them for more money. It's all right if everybody can afford to do it, but it's starting to get so expensive, and I don't know where they're going to draw the line at.

Jeremy Mayfield brought his Dodge home 22nd last weekend. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Shana Mayfield: Yeah, but isn't going to Mexico just going a little bit south of California? It's not like you're going that far.

Jeremy Mayfield: Mmm. I don't know -- it is kind of a haul.

Q: And that's not much of a payback just to have a couple tacos, is it?

Shana Mayfield: That's true. I guess it's not.

Jeremy Mayfield: Go down there and get you a shot of tequila and a burrito, and that's it.

Shana Mayfield: I see that point, too, but if they're willing to step up and help. Money-wise, I guess that's going to be the hard decision, however you decide and who ends up having to pay for it.

It's especially hard for these small race teams that are trying to run the Busch Series full time. That is a lot of money and it's hard to do, logistically, to get all those people to travel down there. I'm sure you have to get passports and all that crap -- and tetanus shots or whatever you've got to have. That's a lot.

Jeremy Mayfield: You've got to get shots before you can go to Mexico, don't you?

Q: You know, with everything people have talked about, getting the medical program updated hasn't been one of them.

Shana Mayfield: You'll have Montezuma's Revenge, if you're not careful.

Jeremy Mayfield: And the biggest thing in our sport is staying hydrated, and you can't even drink the water, you know what I mean? I don't know, maybe it's good.

Shana Mayfield: Knowing Jeremy, and him being a racer, to go out and go to another country would absolutely drain him, because he'd be worried about everything he eats, and everything he drinks, and everything else.

Jeremy Mayfield: I went to Japan, though. And it was the same thing over there.

Shana Mayfield: Yeah, and you've got the language barrier -- you've just got to be careful.

Jeremy Mayfield: Hell, I couldn't say anything to anybody over there. I just didn't speak the language.

Shana Mayfield: But I haven't been to Mexico to watch the race, so I don't know how exciting it could be.

Jeremy Mayfield: We went to Japan for the exhibition races we did back in the late 1990s, and you'd try to order a hamburger or a cheeseburger -- or try to order breakfast, and you'd be in trouble. It'd be exciting.

Shana Mayfield: That's why you just order sushi.

Jeremy Mayfield: Then again, looking at the big picture, I guess it would be good. If we have to go to Montreal and Mexico, it would be fun and we'd make the best of it.

Shana Mayfield: I think we should hit more markets in the U.S. before we think about that. I think there are a lot of places we could still go here. I know they're talking about building a track here, and building a track there -- to expand into even more markets. But there's no reason not to try Kentucky once -- or Nashville. You just don't know how it will go until you do.

Jeremy Mayfield: It's kind of a shame that we've got two good racetracks, right there, that we don't even go to, except to test, really.

Shana Mayfield: Or bring Rockingham back. That was great racing.

Q: We could single some of these places out -- not to pick on anyone, but run one race at Pocono one year to make up for Kentucky, and run one race at Fontana to make up for Nashville.

Jeremy Mayfield: Right, and how about Martinsville?

Q: And run one race at Martinsville to make up for Iowa?

Jeremy Mayfield: Right. That would be really cool to do that.

Q: And how about taking a race from Texas to bring back Rockingham?

Jeremy Mayfield: Right -- but if you're talking about taking one of Texas' races, you're trying to start something.

Q: And try putting Rockingham in the summertime.

Jeremy Mayfield: Right.

Shana Mayfield: But I don't think you want to mess with Texas, right now, because it was such a big deal for them to get two races there in the first place.

Jeremy Mayfield: Right.

Q: And then run one race at Atlanta and go back to North Wilkesboro.

Shana Mayfield: I agree.

Jeremy Mayfield: I don't know about Wilkesboro. It's doing good letting the grass grow up through it, and we'll leave it at that.

Q: With you having a car-show appearance on your schedule this week, how much chance do you get to look at cool cars while you're there?

Jeremy Mayfield: I do sometimes, but I don't always have the chance. While I'm there, I try to do all that I can. There's probably nothing better than going to do those kinds of deals at the car shows, and checking everything out.

Shana Mayfield: He comes back with a pile of people's cards and deals he's got set up. I think he's already got a deal set up with Dodge to get one of those new Dodge SRT8s -- a Charger. He's wound up tight about that and he can't wait until he gets it. And now they're talking about that new Challenger, which is going to be really cool, if you've had a chance to see it.

Jeremy Mayfield: It's bad to the bone.

Shana Mayfield: It's a retro back to the early 1970s Challenger and oh my God, it's bad. You're going to want one -- it's so cool. I don't know if it's a concept car or if they're really coming out with it, but I hope that they do because I want one so bad. I think they would be such a hit.

MEXICO CITY COVERAGE Many of NASCAR's biggest sponsors have a big presence in Mexico, making it a market the sanctioning body can't ignore.  •   Complete story,  click here Although fewer Nextel Cup regulars are entered this weekend in Mexico City, By the Numbers shows that outsiders still rule when the Busch Series hits the road courses.  •   Complete story,  click here Mexican drivers Carlos Contreras, Adrian Fernandez and Jorge Goeters recently answered some questions about this week's race in Mexico City.  •   Complete story,  click here FedEx PreviewNBC/TNT's Marty Snider previews all the action heading to Mexico Telcel-Motorola 200Catch all the highlights of the Telcel-Motorola 200 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Jeremy Mayfield: Talking about that SRT8. You said your dad had one of those original Challengers, well if he had put it under a cover and kept it until now, what do you think it would be worth? I bet it would be a lot of money, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to have a whole collection of Dodges -- Vipers, Chargers, Challengers -- everything.

Q: Just put them in the garage?

Jeremy Mayfield: Yup -- put them in the garage and cover them up.

Shana Mayfield: He's already got one out there covered up -- and a red Charger that's just like his racecar is. He was working on it Monday and it's pretty cool.

Jeremy Mayfield: But anyways, back to the car show. I'm looking forward to going up there, because it's always cool.

Shana Mayfield: You could say that Jeremy being up there and fielding all these offers for cars would be my excuse to go on a shopping spree. But I've got to find some kind of endorsement deal.

Jeremy Mayfield: No, no, no. I'm going to the car show to get caught up on her shopping trip.

Shana Mayfield: No -- whatever.

Jeremy Mayfield: And I'll still be behind.

Shana Mayfield: He's so full of crap, because he gets everything he wants for free. He's on all these deals, and all this stuff. He gets his hobby stuff for free, his MAC Tools and Stanley Tools he gets free -- his Dodge cars. Everything a guy could want, he gets for free.

So I'm like, you know what, I've got to find some kind of endorsement deal for myself -- so if anybody's reading this and needs me to wear their clothes or their makeup or their shoes to the racetrack, I'd be more than happy to consider it. So I can get some free stuff, because I do have a bad habit of shopping. But I look at him and I say, 'It's not fair, because everything you want, you get for free.' It's a man's dream. He gets cars at a discount, he gets tools for free, his hobby stuff free -- and there's not anything else he wants.

Jeremy Mayfield: And also, if there are any ladies out there who would like to buy some ladies' shoes -- just go on eBay. We're fixing to put that stuff on eBay.

Shana Mayfield: No, we're not.

Q: Then again, you are going to Las Vegas early, right?

Shana Mayfield: I know, but I'm broke right now, so I'm hoping that Jeremy wins something out there gambling.

Jeremy Mayfield: I'll tell you something funny that I've been doing. I'll go in her closet and if I see something that's just been sitting there for very long, I'll take it out and take a picture of it and I sell it on eBay.

Shana Mayfield: Do you?

Jeremy Mayfield: And she's never missed it.

Shana Mayfield: You're lying.

Jeremy Mayfield: No -- I've sold, like, 10 pairs of shoes and you don't even know they're gone.

Shana Mayfield: You have not.

Jeremy Mayfield: You don't even know that they're gone.

Shana Mayfield: I don't believe you.

Jeremy Mayfield: Brand new stuff, folks -- right here on eBay. Come see us.

Q: So that's a brand new, virtually untapped revenue stream, isn't it?

Jeremy Mayfield: It is, and she doesn't even know it. I've got money flowing in, and she doesn't even know it. But all I'm really doing is getting three-quarters of my own money back.

Shana Mayfield: No.

Q: What's your game of choice when you go out to Las Vegas?

Shana Mayfield: Red 19 on the roulette wheel. Definitely red 19 is what he says.

Jeremy Mayfield: Yeah, if it hit one of every thousand spins, that would be good.

Shana Mayfield: Jeremy likes the slots, but you know what's really cool? The last time we were there, we were staying at the Wynn Las Vegas, which is a really beautiful hotel. I had gone shopping, and when I came back Jeremy was sitting at the blackjack table and he's talking to this guy. He was really interested in the conversation, and Jeremy said, 'You've really got to meet this guy.'

Well, you know how Jeremy thinks he's Donald Trump, with all the real estate deals he's got going on, well this guy works for Donald Trump, and he does real estate seminars around the country. So he and Jeremy were sitting at the blackjack table talking real estate, and it was the coolest thing.

Jeremy Mayfield: And he drives a racecar in a local series.

Shana Mayfield: That was really cool.

Jeremy Mayfield: I taught him a little about real estate, you know? Just a few things while we were sitting at the blackjack table. A few contacts never hurt.

Shana Mayfield: I think Jeremy got his card.

Jeremy Mayfield: I've got his number in my phone, right?

Shana Mayfield: If you went to a seminar or something, that would be pretty cool. But Jeremy is at a blackjack table or the slots or a roulette wheel.

Jeremy Mayfield: I can see it now. When I retire I'm going to put a J-rump on everything I've got. You know, like Trump has got on his plane? But I'll have J-rumps on mine.

Shana Mayfield: Jeremy says he's going to build a skyscraper in Catawba County -- or somewhere on the lake -- just straight up, because nothing's like that here.

Jeremy Mayfield: Nobody's done that, so I'm going to build a condominium, just straight up, because the air's free. That's what Trump says: 'You can go straight up for nothing.' If you buy an acre of land around here, it's so expensive, that I'm going to buy and it and I'll have a gold building on the lake, and you'll be able to see all of Lake Norman from it. It'll have a penthouse on top of it and a restaurant and everything. I think everyone's going to want to live there -- like Melrose Place.

Word Association: Off week

• Off Weekend
Jeremy Mayfield: I'm going fishing.
Shana Mayfield: Love it.

• Sponsor Appearance
Jeremy Mayfield: Not a problem.
Shana Mayfield: Necessity.

• Mexico City
Jeremy Mayfield: Andale, Andale -- arriba.
Shana Mayfield: Montezuma's revenge. Donde estael banos?