The Mayfields: Gambling on another quals effort

The Mayfields, along with the rest of the Nextel Cup entourage, can hardly believe the 2006 season is coming to a close -- and at least for them, they have what they hope will be a more competitive Dodge in which to attempt the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

But before he even attempts to qualify, Jeremy has an appearance Thursday night at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort, which is his team's sponsor for this weekend -- as it has been all season for owner James Finch.

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

And they agree that not only would Jimmie Johnson probably make the best champion -- but he really deserves it.

This week: The Chase dwindles

Q: This has got to be one of the highlights of the season for you -- you have a sponsored appearance at a casino, of all places -- so how does that feel?

Jeremy Mayfield: Oh, yeah -- we get to go out to the Miccosukee Indian Gaming location outside Miami. We'll sign some autographs and play a few slots and just have a good time.

It should be a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to it.

Shana Mayfield: I'm all excited about it. I'm hoping it's near a mall.

Jeremy: You know, I'm the house driver, playing in the house -- but we haven't negotiated how much house money I get to play with, yet. I'm sure they'll take care of me.

Whoops -- wait a minute. After last week and that debacle at Phoenix, they might not.

But this weekend, I'm pretty excited because this will be our first time in a Bill Davis Racing car, with a BDR engine in it. James' [Finch] team is going to run the car, but it's all Bill's stuff.

I've tested this car at Kentucky a couple times already, and ran real good in it. So I'm looking forward to it, obviously. I've just got to thank James Finch and Bill Davis Racing and Tommy [Baldwin] for putting all of this together.

It's going to work out good for us -- not only for me as a driver, but for me to be able to run BDR stuff for at least one race, before the year's up -- and get a little of time in their cars under my belt. And we've got to thank James for enabling us to do that.

Scott Eggleston's gonna be the crew chief again and James' guys that worked on the car last weekend at Phoenix will be tending to it again.

Shana: Well, a week after the fact, we've just got to laugh about that now -- though there wasn't much too funny about it at the time.

Q: Are you bringing a fishing pole to Homestead, because they've got a lake in the infield -- though it's not as impressive as Lake Lloyd in Daytona -- and they've got a charity fishing tournament on Saturday -- so are you fishing?

Jeremy: Yeah, I'm going to have a pole there, because I've got one on the coach already. Buster will be down there and the Shugah Shack will be in full effect.

He won't be cutting no bait, though. That's one of the things he just won't do.

Shana: Jeremy just fishes with cheese and ham anyway -- in case he wants a snack while he's in the middle of it.

Jeremy: No, I don't. I use lures. I don't use any of that trash -- I'm a bass fisherman, you know what I mean -- and I kind of look forward to it.

Shana: He got an invitation to that tournament -- but it's kind of early for Jeremy, so I don't know if he'll be able to make it.

Jeremy: He never called me, so I didn't know anything about any e-mail. If you'd told me about it, I wouldn't mind doing it.

Shana: I bet you can still do it. Hopefully, we'll still be there Saturday, but even with 55 entries, we should be.

Q: You mean, no matter what happened you wouldn't hang around for the finale -- to celebrate with the new Nextel Cup champion?

Shana: No. I don't want to.

Jeremy: It would be hard, just because we've been right in the middle of that for the past two years -- but not this time around. And it would be especially hard if you didn't race.

All you want to do, then, is get the heck out of Dodge.

Shana: That's what we had a chance to talk about out in Phoenix -- when we were packing up and getting ready to go home on Friday. We had to look at where we were for the last two years -- and what happened last Friday.

It really makes you realize how much can happen in a real short amount of time -- and it makes you appreciate, or it should -- what you have and what you get to be a part of.

I know Jeremy had wanted to be in the Chase every year that he was in racing -- and that didn't happen. So that's a tough pill to swallow.

Shana: It would be hard if we didn't make the race, to just be there and watch it. And I think it will be hard to have Jeremy in the race -- but to not be a part of any of the hype or the fun stuff that goes along with it.

At least we're blessed enough to still be a part of the sport, and to have a role in it. We've got a lot of good things to look forward to in the future, so even though it's a tough pill to swallow, you could almost say we've got a head start for next season -- because we're ready for it to start, while everyone else is glad it's over.

But still, I thank God that it's almost over. But I think it's going to give us an advantage. We talked about that the other day, too -- that not a lot of people could have done what we've done, the last couple of months -- and really have made it.

I mean, last week was tough, but it's been a tough couple of months sitting at home. Something like this happening to you re-energizes you and makes you think twice about what you're doing -- and it makes you love what you do -- and love the sport.

I've seen a big change in Jeremy, for the good -- and I think everybody better watch out, because with Bill Davis and Toyota and 360 OTC and Jeremy, I think it's going to be a lot of fun -- and I'm excited.

Jeremy: It's going to be good. And I wonder what would have happened if the shoe was on the other foot? We made it through this, but I wonder if the other side could have made it through this mess we had to go through -- if they were put in the same position?

Like you say, a lot of people couldn't have done as well with it.

Shana: I'd like to see a lot of other drivers sit home for two months, and see how they come out of it. I'd like to see if they were not feeling beat down, instead of feeling like Jeremy said -- invigorated and re-energized and ready to go.

I think a lot of people just let themselves get all beaten down, and they're done for. And then, going through what we went through last weekend -- which was the first time Jeremy's missed a race in eight or 10 years, was kind of devastating.

	Jeremy Mayfield will try his luck again in the No. 09 Dodge with Bill Davis-backed equipment. Credit: Autostock
	FORD 400 •   Entry List

We came home, and it was a long ride home, but we got up Saturday morning at home and said, "You know what, I gave 100 percent and there was nothing else I could have done."

To have that kind of mindset takes a strong person -- and that's going to serve Jeremy well next season, I believe.

Jeremy: I felt like I got my butt kicked -- but I took it like a man.

Shana: And I think it takes a strong person to stand up to that -- and I think Jeremy's gotten stronger and stronger. You just have to hold your head up high -- especially since we have to go back this week and try to do it again.

Q: What's going to be the critical thing, coming out of the truck on Friday?

Jeremy: It's going to be being better prepared. When we come off the truck we have to be more prepared, because with where we are in the points, you're near the end of the line to get inspected, so that means you get less practice time.

The rich just get richer. But that just means we have to be ready to go when we come out of the hauler -- ready to get after it. We've got to figure out a way to get back ahead of the game here, and it's going to be tough -- but we've got to do it.

And then, we've got to be ready to go and practice right when it begins; and then to be organized in practice, so we can do all our changes that we have mapped out -- so we don't miss anything at all.

Shana: And you'll have to really concentrate on qualifying.

Jeremy: Yeah, we'll have to concentrate on qualifying trim, because we've got to make the race on time and there are 20 cars we're racing, for only eight spots. That is not fun -- but it's a warm-up for next year, because that's where we'll be at the beginning of the season, with the 360 OTC car.

Once we get in the race, we can get ready to race -- but between now and then there has got to be no mistakes made, until qualifying is over, really.

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Q: With Jimmie Johnson having a 63-point lead on Matt Kenseth, do you feel like this championship is all but over?

Jeremy: I think Matt has had a great year -- they've been good. But in my opinion, if you want to be the champion, that doesn't need to be a guy who's counting himself out already, like Matt has been doing.

I think Matt needs to stay positive -- not be saying, "I'm already beat." If you keep talking like that -- I think you're admitting that Jimmie's going to win it. And if that's the case, and Matt keeps talking like that, I'm all for Jimmie Johnson and I think he's going to win it.

Shana: I think a lot of that's just Matt's personality and he may be just trying to do something, maybe, to play mind games with his team and get them mentally fired up. I don't know.

It could be a lot of mind games he's playing with his team -- or that they're playing with Jimmie, where he's wanting Jimmie to think Matt's already beaten. And I don't know, a lot of it is Matt's personality because you never see him get really excited.

Jeremy: But the 48 [Johnson] has been there, what -- two or three years in a row? Whatever it is, they're going to be strong -- they're going to be tough.

Shana: You talk about them being in the top five every year Jimmie's been in the sport -- so I think they're well-deserving of it. I just think Jimmie would be a great representative of the sport and that whole Hendrick organization is so strong.

I think barring something really crazy happening, I think Jimmie is on such a streak that he has to win.

Jeremy: But you never know. That's why they call 'em races -- and why they run all 400 miles -- or 500 miles -- or whatever.

	Credit: Autostock
	Chase for the Nextel Cup Next: Homestead (Season finale) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. -- J. Johnson Leader 2. -- M. Kenseth -63 3. +2 K. Harvick -90 4. -- D. Hamlin -90 5. -2 Earnhardt Jr. -115 6. -- J. Gordon -167 7. -- J. Burton -225 8. +1 M. Martin -273 9. +1 K. Kahne -319 10. -2 Ky. Busch -359 • Complete standings, click here

Shana: Jimmie's run strong enough to deserve it. If it wasn't for some crazy accidents, like at Loudon and Talladega, I think he'd be a shoo-in.

Jeremy: They definitely have the car to beat every week.

Shana: Besides the 20 car [Tony Stewart] -- because the 20 car's come on strong. But he's not in the Chase, so what?

Q: With what you guys know about the five contenders for the title, who do you think would be the best champion to represent the sport, in New York and throughout next season?

Shana: I think the fan favorite, of course, would be Dale Jr.

Jeremy: But they don't want to just give it to him -- he'd need to earn it.

Honestly, like I said, it would have to be Jimmie Johnson, because they've been there every year, he's learned what it's all about and he's matured. And he deserves it.

Chad [Knaus] deserves it -- that whole race team does. It's a great race team and it's been together for a long time. And obviously, Rick Hendrick deserves it, too.

And I think the media couldn't help but see it that way.

Shana: Well, if he's got the strongest statistics ...

Jeremy: Then he needs to be the champion.

Shana: And if that's how you're going to judge it, then I think it needs to be the 48. And with the way I think he'd carry himself, he'd be a great representative for the sport.

Jeremy: For the media it would be Junior. But then again, across the board his team hasn't been as strong as the 48.

Shana: And I'm a good friend with Kevin [Harvick] and DeLana, so I would love to see him win it.

Jeremy: You've got to keep it real, too. You can't go off on a tangent, guessing who would be the fan or the media favorite. Performance dictates who'll win it.

This is racing, not wrasslin'.

Q: Do you feel like if Jimmie and his team won the championship, it could unleash the floodgates and they could win a few more in succession?

Jeremy: They very well could -- or they could do what a lot of teams do and win one championship, then break up two years down the road -- and not win anything else -- like the 88 [Dale Jarrett] and the 18 [Bobby Labonte] did.

Shana: It could go either way. It seems like if you look at how the Chase has been lately, Kurt [Busch] won the championship, and then is cursed the next year.

Tony [Stewart] won the championship and the next year, he didn't even make the Chase. I don't know if you want to win the championship this year, because next year you'll be in the hopper.

And it will be hard to follow it up.

Jeremy: And how about this? I've seen teams make the Chase, and before they even go to the banquet they just take the whole team and switch it around.

Shana: I think we know that tale real well.

Jeremy: Now, if Rick Hendrick doesn't go in there and give Casey Mears all of Jimmie's crew and cars and everything else -- he might be all set to contend again.

Or basically he could fire all the people that were on Casey Mears' team and hire all new people -- hire an R&D team.

Then you hire people that, when they were with one team, they ran like crap -- and when that team got rid of those people, they were contenders to win the championship the very next year -- this year.

Shana: I think they get the picture.

Jeremy: For even Rick Hendrick, I'm sure when he gives all of Jimmie's cars and people away, it would be tough for him to come back and win it, now wouldn't it?

Word Association: Casino Royal

Finale
Jeremy: Grand.
Shana: Thank God.

Miami
Jeremy: Vice and Heat.
Shana: Crockett and Tubbs.

Casino
Jeremy: Ten Times -- Miccosukee.
Shana: Jackpot.