The Mayfields: Dover

One week after celebrating Jeremy Mayfield's 37th birthday at Evernham Motorsports' Fan day, and later at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Mayfields head to Dover International Speedway to kick off a long, hot summer around a bunch of racetracks.

	Jeremy and Shana Mayfield Credit: Autostock
	JEREMY MAYFIELD •   Driver Page •   2006 Stats •   Superstore: Mayfield gear •   Dodge Fast Track •   Jeremy's official Web site

This week: Does the seashore make you crabby?

Q: Guys, we're getting ready to stop off into the summer racing schedule, and if you're talking summer, that means Dover, Del. So what are your thoughts about going to Dover?

Jeremy: I know I'm looking forward to going there. I like Dover a lot, and it's probably one of my favorite racetracks out of all the ones we go to.

I don't exactly know what it is but I do know having the casino there doesn't hurt anything. But it's definitely one of the best racetracks we go to all the way around, I feel like.

I think they should build more 1-mile, high-banked racetracks like that.

Shana: It's a pretty exciting race and it usually has a pretty good turnout of fans -- and there's a lot to do around there, so Dover is a fun place to go to.

Jeremy: I'll tell you what; I might be looking for that guy with the oxygen bottle in the casino, for a good luck charm. That can never hurt, can it?

Shana: That's a great idea, except it was out in Phoenix on the reservation where we saw him.

Jeremy: Well, anyway, there will probably be one in there anyway. But we've had pretty good luck there, and just a little bit of bad luck, so we're looking forward to it. For the most part, it does pretty good.

Shana: Well, I don't really go in there too often.

Jeremy: Shana is not really too big on gambling. But I love going in there and gambling -- and besides that, they've still got a great racetrack.

	Jeremy Mayfled started alongside teammate Scott Riggs for the Coca-Cola 600. 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 Charlotte 2 15 running Average 24.3 26.8

Q: You don't like picking on anyone, but what's the craziest thing you've ever seen in the casino at Dover?

Shana: There are so many fans, so you see a lot of crazy things.

Jeremy: One of the craziest things that I've seen is when a fan goes running by you, saying 'There's Jeremy Mayfield,' or 'There's Kevin Harvick' -- or whomever.

And they run right by you and grab somebody else, because they really don't know who you are, or that you're even in there, you know?

And then, Kevin and I went there one night and were gambling -- or trying to -- and the fans were coming up from everywhere, and of course, he doesn't like to sign autographs, so I was trying to attract more people over his way so he would sign.

I was just trying to get him all distracted and everything. He likes that.

They don't have any card games there -- just machines -- and there is usually somebody hitting 'em pretty good on race weekend, when all the race people are there.

Q: Is that like everything else in sports, and officiating, and do you think they tweak around and adjust on those machines at different times of the year?

Jeremy: I think they do, but I don't know exactly. I'd like to talk to somebody that knows all about slot machines to figure it out.

In all the times I go out to Las Vegas, I know there are definitely certain times when you're playing a machine and it will hit, and then all of sudden it just quits and you're done, you know?

Shana: And you know it always hits more when more people are in there. I don't know if they feel like they can give out more money because more people are there putting it in or if the odds are better because there are more people playing.

All I know is, you always notice when the casinos are fuller, there are more people winning.

Jeremy: They want to get that blood lust up. Someone sees a machine hit, they want to start playing. It's all about timing.

But of course, I think there still is a skill to it, as far as playing the right machines and how you play 'em. You've got to be lucky, but there are little things you can do.

Q: How much do you have to spend to get to that point?

Jeremy: Well, it just depends on if you're having a good night or a bad night. The worse night you're having involves the money you have to spend to get to that point.

The best night you can have is when you walk in there with about nothing in your pocket, you throw 20 bucks in a machine and the first one you throw it in hits.

You know you're going to have a good night then. But if you go in there and throw 20 in and don't hit anything, and then you throw 20 more in there and don't hit anything -- by the time you get to 100 (dollars) you might as well quit.

You can go back and try some more, but most of the time if they're not hitting, they're not hitting. But the best one I found, if you want to get a sure hit, is over in the corner.

It's called "MTA" or something like that -- I don't remember, Shana, do you? You put your credit card in and punch some numbers in and it just spits out money.

Shana: That's an ATM, you idiot.

Jeremy: Oh yeah, that's it.

Q: As we get into summer and people start thinking about vacations, besides racing, what do you guys have to look forward to?

Jeremy: That's pretty much all we've got time for is racing. We're thinking about taking a vacation at some point -- just taking a couple days and getting away to the islands or something like that.

Jeremy Mayfield's crew tuned his car good enough to qualify second for the Coca-Cola 600. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers Jeremy Mayfield's Dover statistics Year Start Finish Status 1994 33 24 running 1995 38 17 running   10 19 running 1996 39 12 running   36 15 running 1997 25 4 running   24 23 running 1998 12 5 running   28 3 running 1999 9 9 out of gas   4 22 running 2000 5 37 engine   1 35 engine 2001 24 34 transmission   7 42 crash 2002 24 35 running   11 20 running 2003 3 21 running   25 2 running 2004 1 8 running   1 7 running 2005 13 14 running   12 7 running Average 16.7 18.0

We've been grinding pretty hard here for quite a while, racing hard and trying to get stuff in order around the property. But sometimes, when you're having a bad year, sometimes you've got to get away from it for a little while.

Shana: I think we just need to put it all behind us for a few days and just get away and spend some time alone and just get our heads back together -- relax and try not to think about anything for a little while.

I think that's one thing I'm looking forward to. Hopefully we'll find a few days where we can squeeze that in.

Q: As you look back, what was the highlight of the two weeks you just got to spend at home?

Jeremy: I had a good two weeks, really. It could have ended a little bit better, really -- with a better finish in the 600 -- but to me it was good to be home and to spend time with the dogs and just hang out.

Shana: Yeah, it was fun and nice to be home, but of course it went by too fast, like it always does. It seems like when you're home, the time flies by and on the weekends when you're away, it seems like they can last forever.

It just went by way too fast, but it was fun. Jeremy's birthday was fun.

Jeremy: There were a lot of people that came by our shops out at Evernham Motorsports for Fan Day. We always have a big crowd for that.

Throughout the whole couple weeks, actually, we had a lot of people come by and check the shop out. It was a cool couple weeks for that.

Of course, EMS is set up so that if people come by any time, they can see the guys working on the 9 [Kasey Kahne's] and 19 [Mayfield's] cars. They go through a display area and then there's a glass wall they can watch through.

It's pretty cool.

Q: Shana, how did Potion's grand opening go?

Shana: It went great. We had an awesome grand opening up at Birkdale Village and we had a great turnout. I've been by a few times this week to check on everything and see everybody.

It's looking great and people are coming in and out, so it couldn't be better. Candice, the owner, got a lot of phone calls the next day from everybody saying how much fun they had and how they can't wait to come back and shop when it's a little calmer.

The aesthetician is getting booked up with facials and all that kind of stuff, so it turned out great. It's just fun to have something to be involved in that doesn't involve racing -- that I can kind of escape to and clear my mind a little bit, too.

I told Jeremy I'm even looking forward to maybe working 9 to 5 Monday through Wednesday. He kind of laughed at that idea, but I'm really looking forward to it, learning all the products and everything that goes on there.

Jeremy: When are you going to start that gig?

Shana: Next week -- Monday. At the grand opening there were mostly local people, but during the week they said there was a pretty good mixture.

Q: Jeremy, did you get in there to get stocked up on your supplies?

Jeremy: I didn't even go. I couldn't go, man.

Shana: He went by when it was closed and looked in the window.

Jeremy: I went by the night before, but I was getting my own escape on that night. I called Shana and she said everybody was there -- but I didn't need to be down there with a bunch of ladies wearing makeup and stuff.

I figured it was Shana's night and I'd let her do her deal.

Q: Shana, are you going to market any "Octane 92?"

Shana: We should, shouldn't we?

Jeremy: There you go.

Shana: Candice and I were talking the other day and we thought we might have a pit party or something like that every week where we could get the racing wives to come in and get us all together.

We're just not sure when we would do it. I wouldn't let it keep me away from the racetrack, though.

I'd have to have all the other women there, and they'd be at the racetrack, too -- so it's a work in progress, as they say.

It's just fun. It's just a girly thing and a fun time.

	Jeremy Mayfield and his two teammates ran well at Lowe's, with Mayfield bringing home a 15th-place finish. Credit: Autostock
	ALSO •   Mayfield's team penalized 25 points for violation at LMS •   Mayfield qualifies second for 600, alongside teammate

Q: I hate to throw anybody under the bus when they're defenseless, but Jeremy, would you ever consider jumping off a stage -- and Shana, would you let him?

Shana: If he told me he was thinking about it, I'd tell him he better not be thinking about jumping off any stage -- because he needs his legs and his arms and his head -- and all attached and in working order to race.

So I would be pretty adamant about that. I don't think he needs to be showboating the night before a race -- or anytime, actually. He needs to be pretty cautious.

But if he did do it and he got hurt I'd probably hurt him even more. I'd be so p----- at him for doing it.

Jeremy: Well, it's like this. If you're getting ready to jump off a stage, you better know who's down on the ground getting ready to catch you, you know what I mean?

Don't just jump off the darned thing. If you look out there and see a few cameras and a few people you don't know, I'd advise anyone not to jump off because that's probably not going to be a good ending.

I wouldn't do it, but I'd be ready for the fall just in case. I wouldn't just jump out there and hope that they caught me.

Word Association: Dover

Crabs
Jeremy: Never had 'em. Not my style.
Shana: Too much work.

Seashore
Jeremy: Jellyfish.
Shana: Rehoboth Beach.

Slots
Jeremy: Jackpot! Curtis wins!
Shana: Cha-ching.