The Mayfields: Charlotte

This weekend, the day after Jeremy celebrates his latest birthday, NASCAR celebrates its longest race -- Sunday evening's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The event is the culmination of an entire month of testing and racing at most of the NASCAR racing community's "home track."

	Jeremy and Shana Mayfield Credit: Autostock
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This week: When is enough, enough?

Q: What's in the works for the birthday celebration?

Jeremy: Big day -- I'm gonna be 29 Saturday. But go ahead Shana, tell everybody what's going on here, why don't you?

Shana: Me talking about it is not gonna screw up any surprise. Jeremy's actually signing autographs at Evernham Motorsports, where it's Fan Day on his birthday.

We'll probably just do that and then come back to the racetrack, where we're staying on Saturday. I'm sure Jeremy's mom is gonna cook his favorite meal and we'll have a cake and presents and that will be about it.

If anyone gets away from the track, come and see me at our new makeup shop -- Potion -- off Exit 25 on I-77, at Birkdale Village. You can come by and see where Michael Waltrip's Racing World is gonna be, which is right near it.

Q: Do people -- fans -- ever give you crazy stuff for your birthday -- or what's the neatest thing you've gotten?

Jeremy: Oh yeah. I've gotten several things. I think one of the coolest things I've gotten is an American flag that flew over Iraq, when the war first started.

I thought that was neat, and I also got some money from Iraq with Saddam Hussein's picture on it. I thought that was pretty cool because it's in this day and time, with the war and all.

I may end up burning it, eventually, because I'm not a big supporter of his, by any means, but I thought it was cool that someone would give it to me after bringing it from over there -- especially supporting our troops like we do.

Shana: We have really good, loyal fans and it's pretty cool that they remember Jeremy on his birthday.

We kind of asked them this year -- because Jeremy's not going to have a chance to be at his souvenir trailer because he's going to be at EMS signing instead -- to donate to Jeremy's favorite charities rather than get him anything, so hopefully they'll do that.

	Jeremy Mayfield has led one lap this year, at Talladega. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Jeremy Mayfield's 2006 results Race Start Finish Status Daytona 26 36 running California 21 22 running Las Vegas 24 25 running Atlanta 20 41 running Bristol 10 16 running Martinsville 23 26 engine Texas 34 31 running Phoenix 28 26 running Talladega 36 13 running Richmond 38 32 running Darlington 30 38 running Average 26.4 27.8

He's not even going to get a lot of time to stay out at the shop, but it's pretty thoughtful that they think of him -- and me sometimes, too. It's pretty cool that they give him gifts.

Jeremy: Nobody needs to be buying me any gifts, though that's a nice thought. But what would be really nice is if they could make a donation to the Pug Rescue League, or we're starting to look at Bulldog Rescue -- anything that helps animals out.

Shana: And the Church of God Children's Home in Concord, N.C. That's another one of ours that we really support.

Jeremy: That's right. We're going to start raising money to build them a go-kart track.

Q: Can you believe another birthday's come up?

Jeremy: No . And you know, they always say they start happening faster and faster and then you start getting to the point where you don't want to be having birthdays.

I think I'm getting to that point.

Shana: But Jeremy tells me he feels better every day. He tells me he feels better now than he did when he was my age, so I think he's starting to get younger on me.

Jeremy: But here's the deal, though. About every time I start to think I'm about to get another year older, in the back of my head I start thinking, 'I feel gooood.'

I just feel like it's all mental and you've got to overlook all that age stuff, because I honestly do feel better physically than I ever have. I do, really. I'm in better shape than I've ever been in. I think.

Q: The fans are one thing, but how about your fellow competitors? In general, how do birthdays go over in the garage and motorhome lot?

Jeremy: They pick on the older guys that have been around the sport for a while -- the veterans. It's pretty cool when you're 37 years old and you're considered an old fart -- a veteran of the Nextel Cup Series.

But I guess that's better than walking around in diapers like some of these kids these owners are trying to sign, crying for mommy and daddy.

Shana: Our lifestyles are so busy, it's sad to say, but birthdays are kind of just like another day, because there's just so much going on.

We would love to have a huge party or celebrate it and make it a huge deal; it's just hard to do, especially this time when it's the weekend of a huge race. So we've kind of got to go as business as usual.

And Jeremy's birthday has always fallen somewhere on Charlotte week.

Jeremy: And the thing is, in two days I'll be another year older? How can I be a year older in two days?

Shana: My God, you're getting so deep, or it's getting deep in here, one.

Jeremy: No, that's the way I look at it. It's just another day, you know?

But I'll tell you what, I really would appreciate all my fellow competitors giving me a nice day-late birthday present on Sunday when I get to them, they move out of the way.

Shana: Especially with the year we've had. Come on, give us a break.

Q: This weekend is the longest race of the year, 600 miles. Shana, what do you do to keep your interest up, or is pit crew cheerleading gonna do it this time?

Jeremy: I've got to say one thing right off the bat. They might not have figured out the traffic yet, but they did a great job on the racetrack.

The track's smooth and we saw great racing the other night, even though cars are sliding around a little bit more than they need to, but I don't think that's the racetrack's fault.

I watched a lot of cars around me -- most everyone, actually -- and their back ends would step out on them all of a sudden, they'd catch it and go on. But our car was pretty solid all night long.

That's why I'm excited about this weekend and very confident, because our car is turning really good and it had a lot of grip, really more grip than I've had all year on a track that everybody's complaining about grip.

So if we can go back with the same package, we're definitely going to have a shot to win this thing.

But anyway Shana, how do you keep your energy up -- your stamina, for 600 miles?

Shana: No, it's keeping up my interest. I can't ever take a nap.

Jeremy: Do you get dehydrated?

Shana: You're still on pins and needles whether it's 200 laps or 400 laps or 600 laps, because anything can happen at any minute.

	Jeremy Mayfield was caught up in the biggest wreck of the all-star race. Credit: Autostock
	Multi-car wreckKahne and Martin slam each other and take out multiple cars Wreck reactionDrivers review the eight-car pile up in the second segment Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

So I don't ever get too comfortable, especially at Charlotte, as exciting as it's been, with the all-star race and last year's 600. I just want to get through it and have a good, decent finish.

I don't ever get bored with it, even though it is a long race. Things change and are happening every second there, so it keeps my interest up.

If it gets into one of those long, green-flag runs for like 50 laps, it kind of gets into a lull. But it's always fun if Jeremy's running well. If he's running badly, it takes forever so it all depends on the outcome and how we're running [as to] how I get through it.

Jeremy: Well, get ready for a good night Sunday because we're going to have a good night.

It's difficult if you're really bad, but when you're having a bad day you're always living on hope, hoping that when you come in and pit, they fix it.

And then you run to the next stop. So really, we race pit stop to pit stop. I don't go into that race -- or any race -- thinking it's 600 miles, or whatever it is.

I go into looking at what our first pit stop or the fuel window is, and then I just run from pit stop to pit stop pretty much. But if you're doing that this weekend, there are going to be a lot of pit stops come Sunday in a 600-mile race with those small fuel cells.

Shana: And I think if anybody is up to the challenge, it's our pit crew, for sure. They're awesome.

Jeremy: They've got it going on, don't they?

Shana: They've definitely been our strong point this year and they've gotten us out of a lot of holes. That's the least of my worries, and I'm glad that we're having a lot of pit stops, because our pit crew has just been on their game this year.

I don't think I need to cheer them on, because they do pretty well without me. They believe in themselves and Jeremy believes in them. They're pumped up and they've got a lot to prove.

They could have easily won the Nextel Pit Crew Challenge last week and I think they're just as good as anybody out there. Because of all that, I'm excited about having more pit stops.

Jeremy: They're by far the best pit crew I've ever had, and they're mean. These guys are mean. They've got that football mentality.

Shana: They'll rip your head off and puke in your neck.

	Jeremy Mayfield will be celebrating his 37th birthday this weekend. Credit: Autostock
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Jeremy: I came in for the break the other night in the All-Star Challenge and one of the tire changers looked at me and said, 'Man, I'll just head-butt you right now.'

And he already had blood running down where he'd head-butted the toolbox, just to get himself psyched up. I mean, that's cool. Our jackman is absolutely, like, crazy.

Shana: He's the cheerleader. He's cool and he gets everybody fired up.

Jeremy: He's got fire in his eyes all the time.

Shana: They work well off each other. They feed off each other, which is good

Jeremy: They just really have that linebacker mentality. They don't want to just tackle you -- they want to rip that ball out of your hands and rip your damned helmet off.

And that's what it takes, is that good team camaraderie. And that's what they've got going on. I love 'em and I think they're great.

Shana: They're a great group of guys.

Q: Jeremy, 600 miles is a long way. So do you have any trouble holding it that long?

Jeremy: That's probably the No. 1 asked question of anything at all of our hospitality events that we go to: 'What happens if you have to go to the restroom -- especially during the 600?'

Well, you never have to go because it's so hot in the cars. It's extremely hot, and you lose all that moisture through sweating.

If you ever want to get a shot of your favorite driver, just watch the port-a-johns along pit road. Right before a race, you'll see everybody going.

But I don't have to go, anyway. I guess Robby Gordon does -- or I've heard stories he does. Some guys do and some don't. I guess it depends on how well hydrated you are.

But once you start racing, it's hard to over-hydrate yourself, because it's so hot in the cars. Those are the physical demands on the athletes in NASCAR racing, and you'd be more worried, obviously, about not getting enough to drink.

Shana: I think a lot of it's in your mind, too. Jeremy laughs at me because we'll go on a plane trip -- and we have a restroom on our plane now -- and I'll go three or four times because I know I can. But if you put me on a plane with no bathroom and I can't go, then I won't have to.

So I say it's really all in your mind and you don't really have to go. So if you're in a car for four or five hours, and you know you can't go -- unless you're just sick to your stomach or something -- you'll be OK.

Jeremy: For example, to put it in racing terms, Shana would be pitting every 15 laps.

Shana: I would. I'd have on Depends or a diaper because it's in my mind that I have to pee every 10 minutes.

Word Association: Coca-Cola 600
Birthday Gift
Jeremy: The Coke 600 trophy
Shana: Secret.

600 Miles
Jeremy: 1,600 left turns -- one survivor.
Shana: No pee breaks.

Memorial Day
Jeremy: God bless the vets.
Shana: Thanks for the freedom to race.