More on Mayfield

MountaineerTom · October 3, 2001

From Thatsracin

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Busy day on the Winston Cup front

By DAVID POOLE

Winston Cup racing could have used a set of swinging doors on Tuesday to keep up with all the changes made and possibilities created two days before NASCAR's top circuit opens its fall activities at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Tuesday's biggest news came when Penske Racing announced that Jeremy Mayfield had been released as driver of the No. 12 Fords, effective immediately. The team had not determined Tuesday who would be in the car this weekend at the Charlotte track.

Mike Skinner, meanwhile, was officially named as the driver of the No. 4 Chevrolets owned by Morgan-McClure Motorsports for 2002.

Rick Mast, who has been driving the No. 27 Pontiacs owned by Eel River Racing, is also looking for a ride after that team, which failed to qualify for the Protection One 400 at Kansas Speedway over the weekend, suspended operations.

It does not appear, however, that Dale Jarrett will need a substitute this week. Jarrett, who suffered a concussion and a chest bruise in a crash in Sunday's race, is expected to drive the No. 88 Ford at LMS.

While the immediacy of Mayfield's departure from the No. 12 Fords was a surprise, it did not come without warning. After finishing 36th on Sunday, Mayfield criticized the team's decision on what car to enter the inaugural Cup race on the new Kansas track.

"You can't bring a 1998 model car that we brought here," Mayfield said. "This is a short-track car that has no business being here at Kansas. You can't come here and run with these guys like that. You've got to have the right stuff. Unfortunately, I guess we didn't have a car ready so we had to bring this one."

Mayfield scored all three of his career Cup victories - two at Pocono and one at Californa - in the No. 12 Ford but this year has been a struggle. He finished third at Darlington and Bristol in April and at Watkins Glen in August and has seven top-10 finishes, but was 22nd in points with 13 finishes of 30th or worse through 28 races.

Mayfield, who also vented his frustrations at Darlington last month, saying he felt like he might be wasting the most productive years of his career, nearly left the Roger Penske-owned team at the end of last season to, ironically, go to Morgan-McClure.

That team started this season with Robby Gordon in the car, then turned to Kevin Lepage before releasing him on Monday. Bobby Hamilton Jr. will drive the No. 4 Chevy in seven of the eight races left this season. A driver for the other race, at Martinsville on Oct. 14, is to be determined.

Skinner's deal starts in 2002 and is for three years. He had been with Richard Childress Racing for the past seven seasons, but got out of the No. 31 Chevrolet after MBNA 400 at Dover on Sept. 23 and will have knee surgery this morning in Florida.

Skinner hurt his knee at Chicagoland Speedway in July and aggravated the injury in a crash at Richmond. He said he wants to have the surgery done to be ready in time to start the 2002 season with his new team.

"We needed to get back to where we were," team owner Larry McClure said. "To get somebody like Mike, who... is a competitor and who has a lot of desire was a good opportunity. I know Mike likes to mash the button and that's what I like."

Robby Gordon will drive the No. 31 Richard Childress-owned Chevrolets for the rest of this season in Skinner's place, and has been considered a leading candidate to be in that car next year when it gets a new primary sponsor, Cingular Wireless.

Developments in the past week, however, may be complicating that situation.

Jimmy Spencer told his car owner, Travis Carter, last week that he plans to drive for somebody else next season. That opens up the No. 26 Fords for 2002, adding it to the Childress team and, now, the No. 12 Fords vacated by Mayfield.

Spencer and Mayfield are also now available as drivers as well. Joe Nemechek could also become available if Hut Stricklin, as rumored, comes with sponsor Hills Brothers to the No. 33 Andy Petree-owned team where Nemechek now is.

October 3, 2001

Hopefully Richard Childress will come around and pick up Mayfield.

I think that he has an enormous amount of talent. A team like RCR would do him well.

Think about this-If RCR next year is looking at

Harvick (1 year under his belt),

R. Gordon (been an "also-ran" in every car he's driven),

J. Green (fired from his ride before his rookie year was up),

Why wouldn't Richard say to himself, "Jeremy Mayfield has a few wins and some experience with three different teams. Maybe he should take the #30 car."

And/or this, "Jimmy Spencer has an awful lot of experience driving WC cars. His two wins came with a top-notch ride(Junior Johnson). I could put him in the #31 car and he would bring that experience to all my teams."

Of course, having Spencer in the #31 would be pretty close to having Skinner in it as far as crash potential.