Of course NASCAR has counter-sued suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield. The body cannot let stand the revelation that it allowed Mayfield to race hopped up on goofballs.
With the countersuit, NASCAR has taken the tortured position that now, after it has become public knowledge that Mayfield was taking prescription Adderall, the Adderall use constitutes a second violation of NASCAR’s drug use policy. The initial violation, recall, was for a still secret, supposedly “illegal” substance which Mayfield tested positive for according to NASCAR’s lab.
Further recall that Mayfield maintains the lab told him he had tested positive for amphetamines, ie, Adderall. Initially NASCAR disputed this account. NASCAR’s laywer said amphetamines had nothing to do with the suspension, citing the still unknown “illegal” drug. But NASCAR has evidently realized that stance gave a green flag to Adderall use by drivers, hence the double-back to construct the bizarre “second violation” weeks after the test results were known.
I guess we really should not be surprised that an outfit has consistently re-written the rules for its races on the fly is trying desperately to do the same with regard to its drug policy. NASCAR all of sudden now says that Adderall use is verboten for drivers. Why did it take NASCAR a month after Mayfield’s positive test to make that clear?
In the absence of facts, allow me to speculate. Mayfield was not the only driver to test positive for Adderall. Or perhaps NASCAR did not know if any other drivers had tested positive and needed time to assess the situation. Rest assured that Mayfield’s lawyer, Bill Diehl, will get to the bottom of what NASCAR did and when. The countersuit is NASCAR’s attempt to get Diehl to shut up and go away.
Tell me when that has ever happened.
Bonus Observation: In its filing NASCAR, Brian France, and Aegis Sciences Corp. attempt to redact the name of the illegal drug they say Mayfield’s sample held. The redaction is rendered *************** or 15 characters. Hmmm. Methamphetamine also has 15 characters.
Update: ESPN now claims that an unnamed source says the drug in question is meth. Once again MeckDeck readers are ahead of the curve.
