Jeremy Mayfield Released from Haas

[rbroyles]

Mayfield released as driver of Haas' No. 70 Chevrolet
Sauter to drive at Phoenix, not solidified as replacement
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
April 8, 2008
11:56 AM EDT

-Haas CNC Racing announced on Tuesday it has released Jeremy Mayfield.

The move comes a day after replacing Mayfield with Johnny Sauter as driver of its No. 70 Chevrolet for Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

"Jeremy's proven resume behind the wheel of a Cup car was a real benefit to our team," team general manager Joe Custer said. "He stepped into the seat and did everything we asked him to and more.


Sauter"Ultimately, we were unable to provide him with the right balance, handling and speed he needed to be successful. We wish Jeremy nothing but the best for his future."

A team release said Haas CNC, which also fields a No. 66 Chevrolet for Scott Riggs, was "exploring several scenarios regarding a replacement driver."

Sauter last year drove the No. 70 car for Haas -- which was a new team that Sauter immediately moved into the top 35 in owner points, where it remained all season. He teamed with the No. 66's pilot, the veteran Jeff Green, who accrued three top-10 finishes. But the team chose to go with Mayfield and Riggs as its two drivers for the 2008 season. Both have struggled.

Mayfield has qualified only once better than 30th, when he started 23rd at Las Vegas and scored his best finish, 16th. Mayfield's car, owned by Margaret Haas, fell to 36th in owner points after a 38th-place finish at Texas and must qualify on speed at Phoenix.

Riggs' car, owned by Custer, is 31st in the owner standings after finishing 27th at Texas. Riggs has one start better than 27th in seven races -- ironically, seventh at Las Vegas. His only finish better than 20th is an 18th at Atlanta.

Sauter posted Haas CNC's first top-five finish in six years of Cup racing, a fifth last fall at Richmond. He was ninth in the spring 2007 event at Phoenix after qualifying 42nd. Sauter qualified fifth and finished 15th last fall at Phoenix.

Two of Sauter's three career top-10s in 67 Cup races have come at Phoenix, the other a ninth in the 2005 spring event, driving for owner James Finch.

[d4ster3]

time to find a new job Mayfield

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by d4ster3

time to find a new job Mayfield

Jeremy seemed to have a bright future when he first came to Cup, if memory serves with Cale Yarbrough, but something seemed to happen to his motivation. Perhaps he became one of those who made too much money and was satisfied without having wins.

[d4ster3]

its hard to believe he won a race in 05 and finished 9th... only to fall out of the top 35 in 06 and be released


and johnny sauter made the race by knockin Kyle Petty out

[TennesseeFan07]

Equipment has everything to do with it

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by TennesseeFan07

Equipment has everything to do with it

Mayfield has had some good rides, but has little to show for it. He seems like a good guy, maybe he is too nice.

[doozer]

i thought it was dumb when the dropped Sauter in the first place for Mayfield.

[TennesseeFan07]

Originally Posted by rbroyles

Mayfield has had some good rides, but has little to show for it. He seems like a good guy, maybe he is too nice.

Penske and Evernham were both quality rides that he was average at best in. I agree, he seems like a great person, but you know where nice guys finish

[McLovin]

Wasn't there some kind of rift between him and Rusty
at Penske?Then I'm thinking he just squeaked into the first Nascar Chase at Evernham before things went bad. He left there for a couple of short stints with bad teams.
I always got the impression that maybe he was difficult to work with or maybe somehow always had personality conflicts that made him never fit in anywhere.Total
speculation,but I always wondered why he always had problems.I know back when he did "Nascar 360" with his wife,he seemed like a great guy.

[rbroyles]

There was definitely friction with Wallace. Rusty initially was against Penske starting a second team. He never was one to want a teamate, always was on single car teams until then.

[doozer]

I hate Rusty. Mayfield didn't help himself much when he took RE's private life with Crocker to the public. I hate Rusty.

[d4ster3]

tell us how you really feel

[doozer]

I can't. This is a family board.

[TennesseeFan07]

Originally Posted by rbroyles

There was definitely friction with Wallace. Rusty initially was against Penske starting a second team. He never was one to want a teamate, always was on single car teams until then.

He never liked Newman either, certainly not a team man

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

I hate Rusty. Mayfield didn't help himself much when he took RE's private life with Crocker to the public. I hate Rusty.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate him, but I never liked him much. He is too arrogant, and a bigger whiner than Wonder Boy Jeff, always ready to place blame, but rarely accepted it. A friend of mine, Jim Burns, was a pit reporter for MRN & Charlotte races. Once he interviewed Wallace early in his career after a wreck at Charlotte live from the pits. When he asked Rusty what happened, Rusty said I hit the G**d****d wall what did it look like?