The Mayfields: Looking inside out at the Chase

For the second consecutive weekend, any bad vibes the Mayfields are experiencing at not being part of the Chase for the Nextel Cup for the first time in three years have been eased somewhat by the news Jeremy will contest another Craftsman Truck Series race for team owner Billy Ballew.

So while the rest of the Nextel Cup Series heads to New Hampshire to open the third annual Chase with the Sylvania 300, the Mayfields do their best to handicap the playoffs, get ready for a bonus trip to Las Vegas, continue moving into their new home and begin prepping a backyard dirt track seasoned with ... cow manure?

This week: Cut to the Chase

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

Q: The field for the Chase was set last weekend at Richmond, so was there any surprises for you guys, and who's your favorite to win the 2006 Nextel Cup championship?

Shana Mayfield: I am in utter shock that Tony Stewart didn't make the Chase -- complete shock. Of anyone that was in the top 10 going into Richmond, I would have never thought that he'd be the one to fall out.

But looking at my favorite for the championship, if you're going to pick based on consistency and who's been really hot over the last several weeks, you'd have to go with (Matt) Kenseth or (Kevin) Harvick.

But I think the sentimental favorite for me would have to be Mark Martin, for sure. I'd definitely like to see him win it because he's been runner-up four times.

I just think if he won the championship it would be well-deserved and he's been such a great ambassador for the sport that I'd really like to see him win it.

Jeremy Mayfield: If you made me take the perspective of a harda-- driver, I'd have to say there is not really any place for sentimentality in this sport. But I like Mark a lot.

And I want to tell you something first about Mark Martin, though. Mark had a huge influence on me going to drive for Bill Davis in Nextel Cup next season.

Mark Martin and Bill are both from Batesville, Ark., and they've been friends for a real long time -- and I talked to Mark about the possibility of getting that ride for a long time.

So I appreciate what he done for me, there -- and I like Mark. But I think if they're going to win the championship, they're going to have to give a little bit better than what they've been doing.

I think Mark knows that and he'd be the first one to tell you that. But it is possible they could do that. They could very easily go on a roll, here -- because that's the way Mark is when he gets determined like that.

And that's the way that team is. If they get determined, you never know, they could hit on something and go ahead and win the thing.

Mark Martin steered Jeremy Mayfield toward Bill Davis. Credit: Autostock

But right now, just like Shana said, you would have to lean toward Harvick or Kenseth, or Mark. And hopefully Mark would be able to pull it off.

Q: Speaking of Mark, there's been a lot of speculation about what he's doing next year, driving a truck or driving a Cup car again -- and for whom. Do you think any of that is a distraction when it's time to focus on the Chase?

Jeremy: I think it could be, but I don't think it will be for him, or that team. Because if he does go to (Robert) Yates, or does something completely different, I think it will be completely supported by Jack Roush.

Jack and Mark seem like they've got a good relationship and when you've got a good relationship like that, usually when you're going to make a change I don't think it would be much of a distraction.

If they were bitter or feuding over something else, I'm sure it would be -- but they're not.

Shana: And I think that Mark's got the mentality that he's going to be straight up with whomever he's talking to.

I mean, he'll come to his team and he'll be the cheerleader and the one to pull his team together, because I think he wants this championship worse than anybody does, so I don't think he's going to let anything be a distraction.

Q: Now Jeremy, I know we've talked about Billy Ballew's Craftsman Truck Series team and how they always contend for top-10s and wins -- but when you're talking going to Las Vegas -- that only means one thing, right? The Strip!

Jeremy: Oh, man. First of all, I am very, very excited and I really appreciate the opportunity that Billy Ballew is giving me to drive that truck, because it's an awesome truck.

Hopefully we can do real good in it. Going out to Vegas makes it even more special because we can go out there and have fun. I feel like I'm going back to being a racer again.

I know that whole team over there is just a bunch of racers that do a great job at what they do. They just want to race, and I can't wait to get out there.

And the bonus side of this trip is that I'll get to go out there and take some pictures out on The Strip and see what it's all about.

Shana: Yeah, right. You'll be out there gambling is what you'll be doing.

Q: What kind of digital camera do you have?

Shana: The casino kind -- a slot camera. It's the Casino SLR-50 -- or the ATM version.

Jeremy: H-E-R-O.

Q: Now tell the truth. What will be your first stop, when you get out there?

Shana: I hope the runway.

Jeremy: No. We'll probably go to the hotel and get checked in, then go out and get something to eat.

Shana: Jeremy, you are such a liar. You know you won't go near the front desk -- you'll walk into the hotel, give the guys our bags and go right over to the slots.

After a little while, he'll say, "Shana, are you hungry?" If I am he'll tell me to go upstairs and order something and he'll be up in a little while.

Jeremy: Anyways, we're glad to be running another race with Billy, to go along with the one we were already planning on, at Atlanta. And we might even run a few more than that -- and maybe even all the rest of the races, but we don't know yet.

We're kind of just playing it race to race because Billy needs a sponsor for that truck. It's an awesome truck and we're looking for a sponsor to maybe run all the races, but you know, Billy runs that all out of his own pocket, so it would be pretty cool to get a sponsor on there to run the rest of the year, anyway.

We'll just play it by ear and see what happens. Maybe we'll win enough in Vegas and just keep on trucking on down the road.

Q: Well anyways, that truck race is a week away, so what kind of stuff is at the top of your project list around the new house?

Shana: Well, at the top of my list is a dresser that I ordered that has been sitting over at Mayfield Motorsports for about a month-and-a-half now.

Jeremy: Which she has now made my project.

Shana: Well, that's because I can't pick it up -- and I've been asking him for about four or five weeks now to pick it up. We've got a bunch of clothes in the middle of the floor, right now, because we don't have anywhere to put 'em.

Jeremy: I've also been out to shoot my Remington guns, every chance that I get, lately.

Shana: Oh yeah -- he's been doing that a lot. And we just finished the reality show we were working on. That was fun and we miss those guys.

Jeremy: Yeah, that was pretty interesting. The TV crew even shot a few of our guns -- the Remingtons.

Q: Have you got a site picked out yet for the Dustbuster 100 -- your Mini-Sprint showdown?

Jeremy: Hey -- we've already started on the track and it's looking good, too. It's about twice as big as what my other one was.

It's laid out right in the middle of a cow pasture, so it's looking real good. It ought to be just about right.

I'm talking a little over an eighth-of-a-mile -- 3/16ths, something like that. And it's going to be nice -- flatter -- I don't think I'm going to have it as banked this time.

The banked track seemed like it wasn't as much fun, because the banking just catches you. We're going to make this one so you have to be able to get in and out of the gas.

You'll have to be able to get around this one pretty good. The surface is going to be clay mixed with cow manure. That will give a whole new meaning to the term "slick track."

It's going to be about 30 percent clay, 60 percent manure and the rest of it will just be regular old topsoil. But it's looking good right now.

But it's pretty treacherous. If you get off the track anywhere, it can be dangerous -- especially if you're not wearing a HANS device.

You definitely want to wear a HANS -- both watching and driving.

Word Association: A Chasing we will go ...

Favorite
Jeremy: Ice cream. Harvick.
Shana: Martin.

Crucial moment
Jeremy: Talladega.
Shana: Loudon.

Vegas' best bet
Jeremy: The 15 truck with Curtis Mayfield.
Shana: Shana comes home with a lot of shopping bags.