The Mayfields: Bristol
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
March 23, 2006
12:25 PM EST (17:25 GMT)


Throughout the 2006 season the Mayfields, Evernham Motorsports' Nextel Cup driver Jeremy and his wife, Shana, offer an insightful, irreverent and sometimes downright wacky look at the week-to-week happenings around the circuit -- and beyond.

This week: On pins and needles at Bristol

Q: We're going to Bristol for the fifth race of the Nextel Cup Series season and Jeremy, your team is 34th in owner points -- one spot inside the 35th-place cutoff for a guaranteed spot going to Martinsville. So how's life in pins-and-needlesville?

Jeremy: Well, it's not too bad, because we're on the borderline, but we're on the good side of the borderline. Obviously, we'd like to be going to Bristol in a little bit better shape than what we've been in, and I think it's going to be tough. But we're going to do the best we can and try to get out of this hole we've dug ourselves into.

Shana: Jeremy seems upbeat, but he's just talking a good game right now and this affects him definitely more than he lets on to people. And that aggravates me sometimes, because sometimes I want him to be more emotional -- but that's just his personality. And that's a good thing.

We talked last week about how people show their emotions and Jeremy is definitely one to keep them bottled up, or to try to stay on the positive side of things and to be optimistic and all that stuff, which is really good. But I know the real Jeremy, and it's just ripping his guts out, now, and it's tough on him. But he's going to try to remain a good leader and keep his guys upbeat and do what he can for them. But it's eating at him, and it's bothering him a lot. But he's definitely not one to let on to that, you know?

Q: Do you not feel that it makes the people around you feel better and more confident if that's what you're giving off?

Jeremy: If you're not careful -- like, if I'm sitting here going, 'Oh man, we're beaten,' that's what' going to happen. I don't ever think that way. I always look at the positive side of everything. Yeah, it bothers me -- I'm not going to sit here and tell you it doesn't bother me -- but what bothers me is this is the farthest back I've been in the points for a long time; for about as long as I can remember. So that bothers me more than anything.

But the thing about it is, you've got two choices. You can either sit around and whine and cry about it, or you can do something about it. And that's what we're going to do -- we're going to do something about it. That's the way I look at everything -- not to be beat before you can even give yourself a chance to get there. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to beat myself, and I'm not going to beat my team. We have enough things we have to do right, going to Bristol, than to beat ourselves before we even get there.

Shana: I think it's tougher on me, like I said before, being a wife -- and I've been here before.

Last year, we were, like, 21st in points at this time and we came back from that, and made the Chase for the Nextel Cup for the second time. But this time we're so far back and I don't really know which way we're heading, so it's kind of a scary feeling.

Each week we're having bad luck, or we just can't get a hold of it and it's just kind of an uneasy feeling for me. I worry about everything anyway, and Jeremy knows that, so it's hard on me more than him.

I mean, I let on and express how hard it is for me. And he always tells me there's nothing we can do. All we can do is go for it and do what we can do and hope that everything turns around.

Jeremy: And you look at what happened to me at Daytona. We got in a wreck. Last week we had some trouble and had a right front tire go down. So you're struggling in the back and you say, what do you do about it? There's nothing more that I can do about it, so then again, you can either sit around and cry about it, or do something different. That's really your only options. You have no choice. You either go, or you don't go, and I'm going for it. That's the way I look at it.

Q: Does the fact that it's unusual make it any easier to deal with, because you know it's going to get over?

Shana: No.

Jeremy: Well, we're going to get over it, and we're going to get through it. That's the way I look at it. And I'm not going to let anybody, or anything stand in my way. Tomorrow will be another day and we're going to make the best of it and we will get through this.

Shana: But I feel like it's so unusual. Like it's been a nightmare and I'm just waiting for somebody to wake me up. I just can't believe the way the start of the season has gone for us. Like Jeremy said, this is the farthest back in points he's been since who knows when. I can't ever remember him being this far back, and that's a hard pill to swallow -- after the last two years having such great years.

I don't know, but I've never felt this, being like, 'Oh my God, after next week we might have to qualify to get into races.' Bristol is not a place you want to be on the borderline, because anything can happen -- anything at all.

Jeremy: Anything could happen. We could show up there and win the race and come out of there in great shape. You know what I mean? I'm not going to freak out about it now.

Shana: Right, but again, if something happens you've got to worry about next week, definitely making the race on time -- and that's worrisome.

Q: Is this worse than Richmond in September 2004, when you were on the borderline of making the first Chase for the Nextel Cup?

Jeremy: It's about the same feeling. It's the same way. But the good thing about it is, my whole career has been that way. I've always been getting backed up against the wall, and getting knocked down to where you have to fight to get yourself back up. This is just going to make us stronger and to make us better.

We're going to be a better team after this -- I guarantee it. One way or another, we're going to get through it, so that's the way I look at it. I'm not just sitting here harping on how positive I am. But I'm no sissy and I'm not going to lay down and die. I'm going to get through it. We've dug ourselves this hole and we're going to get out of it, together.

Shana: And I think September of 2004 was our one shot. It was do or die, and Jeremy went in there with the mentality that they could get it done, and the team did, too. We were in a good situation then, points-wise, anyway. I think we were 14th, which wasn't that bad with 11 races to go in the season. It was just a different feeling then, and I don't think it really compares. We've got that same feeling of urgency, but in a different way. Then, it was one shot to get into the Chase and if we make it, fine, and if we don't we've still had a great year and we're doing OK.

But now it's the difference between making a race and making the Chase, and you never want to be on the edge of not making a race and having the chance of going home -- whereas making the Chase was a bonus in itself. You still knew you were guaranteed to race every week, and that's a different feeling.

Q: You don't want to have to experience Richmond 2004 week after week, do you?

Jeremy: Well, that's the gamble we knew we were going to have to take, after the end of last year.

When Ray [team owner, Evernham] made the decision to change the teams and to swap everybody around, it was either going to be great for all of us or it was going to be good for a couple of us -- or whatever. And Scott [Riggs] ended up going to Daytona and struggling. With Kasey, it's paid off for him, though he's got a team that's solid and that's been together -- and that's the only one in that position at our organization. So he's been the one to benefit more, to this point, than the other two of us; but I guess that was a gamble that we all took. So far, ours hasn't paid off but hopefully it will.

Q: How's the support net been when you've been out in public, either at the track or around town?

Jeremy: It's been alright. It's been about as good as you could expect. But the thing is, we never anticipated the things going wrong that have gone wrong, so far, either. But the only thing I'm saying is that I'm committed, I'm in this and I'm supporting the team like the team is supporting me and Ray is supporting all of us, which he has through thick and thin. And that's just what's going to happen. We're paying the price for the experiment right now, but if we're all in it together, we're all in it together -- and we are.

If we're going to win and lose together that's just what it means. I feel like I've been a good sport about the way things have been going, anyway, so as long as we win or lose together, we're fine. If we start winning and I'm losing myself, I think I would have a problem with that, and the public would, too.

Shana: I think a lot of people don't understand the switch and why it was done. They just look at the team that Jeremy had for the last two years being taken away and they feel like that was Jeremy's team.

Jeremy: I know, but I didn't build that team. That's Ray's team and he's got a car that's second in the points and just wearing 'em out. So for him, he's looking pretty good right now. At least, today, he's got three teams in the top 35 in the points.

Shana: I'm just saying that your fans are kind of confused and not too happy about things. They're asking why you would take a team that's made the Chase two years in a row and mess with it? But Ray had his reasons and like Jeremy said it's paid off already because Kasey's won a race. So we've got to go on and do the best we can and not dwell on it or ask why.

We've just got to make the best of the situation we're in and hopefully the fans understand that and support Ray's decision and all of his teams.

Word Association: Bristol
Dizzy
Jeremy: I hope not.
Shana: Izzy. Watching cars.

Earplugs
Jeremy: Huh? Goofy lookin'.
Shana: Gotta have 'em.

Banking
Jeremy: ... of America. More.
Shana: Steep. Harder in heels.

:lmao thats what I would answer too