Judge denies Mayfield's request to reopen case

Jeremy Mayfield's allegations that NASCAR chairman Brian France had him black-flagged in the 2006 Brickyard 400 were not enough to sway U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen to reopen Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR.

Mullen issued an order Monday that denied Mayfield's request to reconsider a May ruling in favor of NASCAR that dismissed all of Mayfield's claims.

In that May decision, Mullen ruled Mayfield had given up his right to sue through various waivers he had signed to compete in NASCAR and questioned whether Mayfield had the evidence to support his claims that NASCAR erred in ruling he tested positive for methamphetamines.

Mayfield asked for the court to reopen the case in June because he intended to introduce new evidence, and Mullen denied that request in August. Mayfield then asked again in September for Mullen to reconsider his ruling in light of France's former in-laws stating that they had heard France order Mayfield to be black-flagged in the 2006 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. France denied those claims and produced travel records that France said showed he wasn't even with his former in-laws on the day of the race.

Mullen ruled on Mayfield's request Monday and cited as key factors in his decision the France travel evidence and the fact Mayfield had sued his team owner Ray Evernham in 2006 for firing him after that race and at that time did not mention the possibility that NASCAR had black-flagged him rather than the team deciding to park the car.

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