JOLIET, Ill. – Last weekend, Nextel Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield made some cutting comments about his boss, Ray Evernham.
They were so sharp that race fans had to wonder whether the two would be able to work together for the rest of the year and, perhaps, beyond.
Not to worry, both have since said, we can and will work together. And their hope is to be successful enough to end the frustration that prompted Mayfield to speak out in the first place.
Mayfield had been one of the better drivers in Nextel Cup during the last couple of years. He was one of seven drivers who qualified for both Chases for the Nextel Cup Championship.
But this season, he has struggled. Entering Sunday’s USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, Mayfield was 32nd in points and not a contender for this year’s Chase.
On the Friday before the race, speaking to a small group of reporters, he implied that Evernham was not spending enough time with his team.
The remarks were obviously rife with frustration.
“I don’t know if he’s behind us or not,” Mayfield said of Evernham. “I’m sure he is; it’s his team. He looks as bad as we do running around here running like we are. I’m sure he sees it like we do. I haven’t talked to him today either. It’s not like Ray. He used to be on stuff like this pretty hot and heavy.”
Mayfield reiterated his frustrations on race day, saying, “Who wouldn’t be if they were running 35th?”
With time to reflect, Mayfield and Evernham revisited the situation and presented further explanation. Mayfield said he and Evernham “continue to be great friends and will be from here on out.”
Evernham said, yes, he had missed the last couple of Cup races. But, he said, those were only two of 17 held this year.
Evernham also said he would probably spend less and less time at racetracks as he concentrates on the business side of his operation.
“My commitment to building a championship-caliber motor-sports organization for numerous racing series and multiple teams has never wavered,” he said. “Neither has my commitment to providing the best people and resources for our race teams. What has changed is my job. I’m running a significant business with operations in the U.S. and the U.K. I have tremendous responsibilities to our sponsors and business partners away from the racetrack. That’s been my focus this season.”
Asked whether he still enjoyed the part of the job that demands his presence at tracks, Evernham said that at times, he does not.
He said the times when it is not fun – the instances when the allure has faded – are the hands-on times. He said he sometimes does not enjoy the long days at the track deciding which springs to put on cars.
The struggles that Mayfield’s team has undergone, Evernham said, were not the driver’s fault. He said the problems would be identified and rectified.
“We know the potential is there and that Jeremy is a talented driver,” he said. “It’s frustrating when you can’t quickly find the solution. That doesn’t mean we aren’t trying. Jeremy and I are going to continue to work on getting this team where it needs to be. There’s a lot of racing left this season, and I’m confident that we can get this program on track.”
Evernham also addressed Mayfield’s future with the team. He has one year left on his contract and two option years. Evernham said Mayfield would, at the very least, remain with the team for the rest of the current season.
After that, however, no promises.
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