Mayfield FAILED Drug Test

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Originally Posted by Lee Roy

It wasn't abritrary. It was part of a testing program.

I didn't say the testing program was abritrary, I said that NASCAR telling Mayfield he failed a drug test without prior knowledge of what the banned substances were (lack of a detailed list) appears to be arbitrary.

They can't reveal what it is to anyone other than Mayfield. Are you familiar with the Health Information Protection and Portability Act (HIPPA)? It's a Federal Law that NASCAR would have been in violation of if they had told anyone other than Mayfield. It's a pretty serious violation.

I don't dispute Mayfield failed a test, and if they told no one but Mayfield then that would seem to be within guidlines. But I still question not producing a detailed list so the drivers can consult with their doctors so they know what to stay away from. That is is legally suspect.

Do you need to tell people that they can't drive race cars at 200 MPH while jacked up on Amphetimines??? Really Chap, think about it for a minute. It's a no-brainer.

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I don't dispute that either, but it's at minimum debatable whether Mayfield was "jacked up". Medicines like Adderall can be used safely under a doctor's care. Just about all medicines, including asprin, carry some level of risk and all can be abused; Mayfield insists his meds were under the supervision of his doctor who I'm sure knows what Mayfield does for a living. Until someone presents evidence that Mayfield's doctor was wrong to perscribe the meds, that no matter what those meds are dangerous to use (if you know of some, Lee, send it here), or that Mayfield is lying, at least right now, I will give Mayfield the benefit of the doubt.

This is how Wikipedia describes Anphetamines:

Amphetamine (amfetamine (INN)) is a psychostimulant drug that is known to produce increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite. Amphetamine is related to drugs such as methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which are a group of potent drugs that act by increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine in the brain, inducing euphoria.[2][3] The group includes prescription CNS drugs commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. It is also used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. Initially, amphetamine was more popularly used to diminish the appetite and to control weight. Brand names of the drugs that contain amphetamine include Adderall, Vyvanse, and Dexedrine. The drug is also used illegally as a recreational drug and as a performance enhancer. The name amphetamine is derived from its chemical name: alpha-methylphenethylamine. The name is also used to refer to the class of compounds derived from amphetamine, often referred to as the substituted amphetamines.[citation

Anphetamines carry a real stigma but so does morphine, since both can be abused and addictive. But they both continue to be perscribed and monitored. The Mayfield case clearly needs more investigation to see if his doctor's instructions were appropriate, and if NASCAR's handling of the situation was appropriate.

Not sure how effective a "list" would be.

Illegal drugs are a "no brainer". Not sure if the rumors about "meth" are true. I'll let that come out in the courts. Do you think NASCAR needs to list out all of the illegal drugs for the participants? People know if they are using illegal drugs.

A lot of drugs that are legal are also come with a cautionary warning on the label. If it says that you shouldn't "drive a car or operate heavy machinery", I'd think that driving wheel to wheel at 200 mph with someone who had taken a drug of that nature is in that category. I don't think you need a list for all those. Any competent MD that prescribed a drug like that to a race car driver would let him know if there were some side effects.

I've been reading (not sure where I've seen it) where if a driver is taking a prescription medication, he can inform the NASCAR Doctor (who would be bound by HIPPA) and then they can determine if there's a problem BEFORE being surprised by drug testing.

I know that the absence of a list seem critical to you, but I don't really think it is all that necessary for a racing series like it is for the stick and ball, as well as olympic type sports. I don't think that the performance enhancing or steriods that most stick and ball athletes are watched for would do that much good for a race car driver.

Jeremy may think that taking an amphetimine and driving wheel to wheel in a 200 mph pack is okay, but I think the other drivers there would have a drastically different opinion.

You left off something. Most medications that say
Don't "drive a car or operate heavy machinery" have a 2nd part of the sentence like "until you know how your body will react to this medicine". It's the rare side effects they're CYA on.

>I've been reading (not sure where I've seen it) where if a driver is taking a prescription medication, he can inform the NASCAR Doctor (who would be bound by HIPPA) and then they can determine if there's a problem BEFORE being surprised by drug testing.

It's 4.E of Nascar's Substance Abuse Policy, however based on what's in the Mayfield suit AND what been stated by Dr Black and Nascar officials they don't follow the procedure, (which requires on short/no notice a complete list of chemicials consumed (from what we know is a non-published list) in the last three months.) Instead they're replaced it with a piece of paper with Dr Black's phone number on it and a game of telephone tag for two days.

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Originally Posted by Lee Roy

Not sure how effective a "list" would be.

Illegal drugs are a "no brainer". Not sure if the rumors about "meth" are true. I'll let that come out in the courts. Do you think NASCAR needs to list out all of the illegal drugs for the participants? People know if they are using illegal drugs.

A lot of drugs that are legal are also come with a cautionary warning on the label. If it says that you shouldn't "drive a car or operate heavy machinery", I'd think that driving wheel to wheel at 200 mph with someone who had taken a drug of that nature is in that category. I don't think you need a list for all those. Any competent MD that prescribed a drug like that to a race car driver would let him know if there were some side effects.

I've been reading (not sure where I've seen it) where if a driver is taking a prescription medication, he can inform the NASCAR Doctor (who would be bound by HIPPA) and then they can determine if there's a problem BEFORE being surprised by drug testing.

I know that the absence of a list seem critical to you, but I don't really think it is all that necessary for a racing series like it is for the stick and ball, as well as olympic type sports. I don't think that the performance enhancing or steriods that most stick and ball athletes are watched for would do that much good for a race car driver.

Jeremy may think that taking an amphetimine and driving wheel to wheel in a 200 mph pack is okay, but I think the other drivers there would have a drastically different opinion.

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Lee, the same rules that apply to the ball & stick sports should apply to racing. The drug Adderall is designed to help ADHD afflicted people like Jeremy Mayfield combat their ailment and help them perform at their job better. This drug is designed to help Mayfield focus and concentrate better and be more alert, precisely the thing he is supposed to do when driving a race car. Unless the doctor is a complete fool, he is sure to have informed Mayfield of the risks and tested his ability to compete. It's way too easy to be sued these days for malpractice for his doctor not to have taken proper precautions.

A list must be made available to everyone so that doctors can make informed choices of what to perscribe and competitors can make informed decisions on what they should do, and to inform NASCAR. If there was any conversation between Mayfield and NASCAR, and if Mayfield didn't inform them of his perscribed meds, then he is accountable. If NASCAR got this info from Mayfield but didn't inform him of any possible infraction until after the test was taken, then that is irresponsible on NASCAR's part. As you say, this and other issues will have to be settled in court.

Steroids, as you say, give a competitor in a ball & stick sport an advantage that would be lacking when driving a racecar. Steroids give an athlete more power and quickness that is an aid with the football player, baseball player, basketball player, and hockey player, a non issue with racing drivers especially in this continuing era of power steering. But the point about having rules for drug safety is not about one or two substances, it's about the variety of drugs out there can be considered harmful.

The disclaimer on drug labels is certainly there and many warn about doing things like driving or operating heavy machinery, but they also say consult with your doctor. Mayfield insists he did so.

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Originally Posted by Jonesi

You left off something. Most medications that say
Don't "drive a car or operate heavy machinery" have a 2nd part of the sentence like "until you know how your body will react to this medicine". It's the rare side effects they're CYA on.

>I've been reading (not sure where I've seen it) where if a driver is taking a prescription medication, he can inform the NASCAR Doctor (who would be bound by HIPPA) and then they can determine if there's a problem BEFORE being surprised by drug testing.

It's 4.E of Nascar's Substance Abuse Policy, however based on what's in the Mayfield suit AND what been stated by Dr Black and Nascar officials they don't follow the procedure, (which requires on short/no notice a complete list of chemicials consumed (from what we know is a non-published list) in the last three months.) Instead they're replaced it with a piece of paper with Dr Black's phone number on it and a game of telephone tag for two days.

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Good points all, Jonesi.

:s

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/artic...s_builder.html

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Suspended owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield’s Mayfield Motorsports Inc. has been sued for $86,304.55 for parts, pieces and chassis work.

Triad Racing Technologies and BDR Acquisition are suing Mayfield in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte. The suit was filed last Wednesday. Both companies share the same address, and their registered agent with the state of North Carolina is TRT co-owner Mike Held, who was one of the people who bought the assets of Bill Davis Racing and his chassis/engine shop Triad Racing Development.

The suit claims that on Jan. 22, Mayfield requested parts from BDR Acquisition for his new Sprint Cup team but later requested to return the parts rather than pay for them and then returned only a portion of the parts. Mayfield also asked for some paint work to be done. He owes $79,763.95 for those services, according to the lawsuit.

Triad Racing Technologies did chassis work for Mayfield, and TRT claims that Mayfield owes $6,540.60.

Mayfield Motorsports has not yet answered the complaint, and it was unclear whether he has retained counsel for this suit. An e-mail requesting comment from his attorneys in his lawsuit against NASCAR seeking to have his suspension over a failed drug test overturned wasn't immediately answered.

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What is the saying......."Dumber and Dumber". :dozey:

think its time for Mayfield to run to his mansion and just hide

I don't see what the argument is here. NASCAR's policy is that you let them know any and all prescriptions you're being prescribed. Jeremy didn't do that, so regardless of the med, that's an infraction. And secondly, the reason all this went down is due to the use of Meth, which is obviously an illegal drug that wouldn't be allowed in any sport. We don't know the quality of the testing exactly, but it's not like NASCAR was on a witch hunt if this is what they're testing lab reported to them. Personally I'd like to see Mayfield back in a car but that looks very unlikely at this point.

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Originally Posted by NickFalzone

I don't see what the argument is here. NASCAR's policy is that you let them know any and all prescriptions you're being prescribed. Jeremy didn't do that, so regardless of the med, that's an infraction. And secondly, the reason all this went down is due to the use of Meth, which is obviously an illegal drug that wouldn't be allowed in any sport. We don't know the quality of the testing exactly, but it's not like NASCAR was on a witch hunt if this is what they're testing lab reported to them. Personally I'd like to see Mayfield back in a car but that looks very unlikely at this point.

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I've heard that before about Mayfield not informing NASCAR about his perscriptions, but I haven't seen any independent confirmation on it, so it's arguable. Mayfield hasn't denied using the drug Adderall but again this was under direction of his doctor, according to Mayfield, so he has an arguement in court. Adderall is not illegal.