The Mayfield saga: He said, they said ... enough said

It's halftime for the stock-car racing spectacle that is May at Lowe's Motor Speedway just outside of Charlotte, so it's time to empty the mind and the notebook of all random thoughts and observations.

The Sprint All-Star Race is in the books. The Coca-Cola 600 is next up. Here are some points to ponder while we wait for the next green flag to drop:

Mayfield storylines

• Mayfield wants to see results
• France cites serious infractions
• Test negative for steroid use
• Perception becomes the battle
• Policy tests for array of drugs
• Mayfield suspended indefinitely

Enough, already

Raise your hand if you're tired of reading, writing or hearing about Jeremy Mayfield's indefinite suspension for allegedly violating NASCAR's strict substance abuse policy. (So here we go again bringing it up, right?)

Listen, it's understandable that Mayfield wants to make sure everyone knows he's not snorting cocaine in the infield bathrooms in between races that he makes in the No. 41 Toyota he, well, used to own and drive (and likely will again someday soon). But even if he took some mixture of a prescription drug that he was taking for a legitimate reason with over-the-counter allergy medicine that he thought he was taking for a legitimate reason -- even if that is what triggered a positive test (despite NASCAR repeatedly rejecting that explanation) -- doesn't Mayfield understand that his drug test came back positive for an equally legitimate reason? Like perhaps maybe mixing things that might make you drowsy and might not be the smartest thing to do if you're going to operate heavy machinery at more than 170 mph anytime in the near future.

And here's a novel idea: how about checking with NASCAR before doing anything like that anyway? Dale Earnhardt Jr. said it best the other day when asked about NASCAR's drug-testing policy. He said it's pretty simple: "Don't do anything stupid."

If Mayfield made an innocent but stupid mistake, he should be forgiven and reinstated within a reasonable time frame. No one should label him "a druggie," and he shouldn't be made to go to a drug rehabilitation center or anything like that unless there is more to it. But even if all of the above proves to be the case, that doesn't mean NASCAR was wrong to suspend him after back-to-back test samples tested positive for what the sanctioning body has labeled "a drug of concern." Safety on the track must come first, and he was suspended after it became obvious his second sample tested the same as the first.

Mayfield has made his point publicly, as has NASCAR. Now let's all get on with our lives, including you guys. (Continued)