Jeremy Mayfield most recent Nextel Cup win came at Michigan in August. Credit: Autostock

10 Questions: Mayfield

Evernham driver on television shows, Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan

No one in Nextel Cup racing has experienced a season as confoundedly contrary to their recent history than Jeremy Mayfield.

Mayfield, after making the first two editions of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, has struggled to remain in the top 35 in the owner standings this season, though he's currently locked into the 35th spot for at least one more week -- with four positions in front of him within 44 points.

	Jeremy Mayfield 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 Dover 2 18 running

But through it all, Mayfield's commitment and sense of humor has never wavered. Mayfield took a break to answer 10 questions not necessarily connected to his racing career.

1. Who is the most impressive person, or celebrity that you've had the opportunity to meet?

Mayfield: Damn, we've met a ton of people, but probably Kid Rock. He's pretty cool. I'm saying it because I like him, but he puts on this image of being a bad boy and all this stuff, on stage -- and really a lot of those guys are like that.

But to meet him he's a cool guy and just down to earth. And that's the same way it is with Goldberg -- and Donald Trump -- the same way.

Everybody portrays an image to the public, and then once you meet them you're like, "Man, they're really cool people."

We met Lisa Gastineau from the Gastineau Girls or whatever it is, in New York. And she was totally different from what you see on TV. She was just a great person.

So whether it's Trump, Kid Rock or whomever -- we've met a lot of people and found out they're all normal once you meet them.

2. Do you watch TV news, and if you do, who is your favorite TV news anchor?

Mayfield: I'm starting to. News anchor? I don't know if you'd call it news -- you talking about normal news, just basic stuff?

I don't have a favorite [because] I'm just starting to watch the news a lot, because [wife] Shana does.

3. What's your favorite outdoor activity?

Mayfield: Probably bass fishing, at our own pond -- our own lake -- on our property. I enjoy it because it's hard.

I tell you what; people don't realize how hard it is, to catch big bass. Now I'm talking big ones, but it's a challenge and I love bass fishing.

I don't know if I have any tricks I want to share. Man, I've tried everything [for bait] but I stay with the worms -- plastic worms, lizards -- that kind of stuff.

I believe Dale Jarrett's story that he caught [a big one] using pizza. Hell, sometimes you'll go fishing and you might catch 'em on anything, so when all else fails, try something different, and pizza's a good choice.

4. Which athlete outside of racing do you most admire?

Mayfield: I like wrestling [because] they're athletes, like Hulk Hogan. He's a charismatic kind of guy, with an attitude -- and he's crazy, you know? He's cool.

And I'll tell you someone else I like in wrestling, is Goldberg. We're good friends, Bill Goldberg and I, so he's probably my favorite.

We were in Indianapolis and Tommy Wheeler, our engine guy, didn't believe that [Goldberg] and I were good friends, so I told Bill, 'go over there and grab that guy and rough him up a little bit.'

He went over and grabbed Tommy in a headlock [laughing] and was getting ready to slam him down, so I think Goldberg's my man, now.

5. I guess you've got multiple vehicles, but what's your favorite, and what do you drive the most?

Mayfield: Man, my favorite is my truck -- my Dodge SRT10. And I've got a Dodge Viper, too -- but my favorite is my truck. I drive it every day.

Yeah, I go out and drive it just to drive it. I love it. Any time I have to go anywhere, I always want to take my truck -- no matter what it is.

Shana will be, like, "Let's go here, or there," and we'll just jump in the truck and go there. I just love driving my truck [because] it's a racecar, really.

My Viper is fast, I mean, it will move pretty good -- it's a lot faster than my truck. But my truck is a six-speed, manual speed with a clutch. It's got a pushbutton starter, just like driving a racecar, and it sounds -- man, it's got headers and cool tailpipes on it.

It's got an airbox and all that cool stuff, so it just sounds good, and it's pretty much a racecar with a pickup truck body on it that you're driving around.

I'm not my mechanic's favorite customer because I work on that thing. I love working on that, and I always work on my own cars. A couple buddies and me put the headers and tailpipes on it.

I've always believed in working on my own stuff, no matter what it is. I don't like doing mechanical work on a normal car, but I will work on my truck.

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

6. What's one thing your fans don't know about you -- that you want to tell them?

Mayfield: What I'd probably like them to know is that I'm cool -- I'm pretty normal. I've got a lot of energy and a big heart and I love helping other people.

If they got to know me, they'd probably like me a lot better than if they didn't know me.

7. Which show is "must see TV" for you?

Mayfield: Here lately it's been Deal or No Deal. That's just been the biggest show [laughing] -- or game show, anyway. We watch that, but I like The Apprentice, too.

Every time we watch Deal or No Deal, I sit there and think what I would do -- and it makes me mad because all these people, they'll sell out for $40,000 or something like that -- whatever it is.

I'd go all the way, man. They'd have to pay me, like -- I'd gamble on it. The way I look at it is, I didn't come there with anything anyway, so what?

But I've lost a lot on it, too. Every time I've watched it I always think what I'd do and usually it doesn't work out, so who knows? But it's a cool show because I like gambling a lot, you know?

8. If possible, who would you trade places with for a day, and why?

Mayfield: Probably Donald Trump, because he's got that real estate thing going on -- and he's pretty cool with what he does. He's got a lot of good things going on around him.

I'd probably trade places with him. I could find a house; I could buy a building and find some investments to get involved in. That would be pretty neat.

9. What was your first car?

Mayfield: I think it was a '72 Oldsmobile Cutlass. I paid $250 for it, or something like that, and it wasn't too hot. But I thought I was gonna fix it up and make it into something.

But I ended up getting rid of it, pretty quickly. I didn't have it very long because it didn't have a heater in it, no air conditioner -- nothing. I think I bought it in the winter and I figured I could do without the heater.

But that didn't work. It's pretty cold in Kentucky.

10. What have you learned about yourself in the last year?

Mayfield: I've learned that you've got to figure out a way to make yourself happy, no matter what you do. You can get tied up in this [racing] deal a lot and not realize there are a lot of other things in life besides struggling in racing.

You have to take the good with the bad all the time, you know, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can always find a way to enjoy what you're doing.