DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Mayfield was not at Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s race, citing the media attention on his legal fight with NASCAR as an unnecessary distraction from the Independence Day celebration.

NASCAR suspended Mayfield May 9 for testing positive for methamphetamines, and he sued to be reinstated. A federal judge on Wednesday issued an injunction that cleared him to return to competition, and Mayfield indicated he’d travel to Daytona.

But he didn’t enter his Mayfield Motorsports team and had no ride lined up for the race. Still, there was a constant watch for his arrival, which was expected to happen Saturday.

Instead, he and wife, Shana, issued a statement at the same time as the pre-race driver meeting began at Daytona.

“We’ve been watching on television and reading online about the ‘Storm Clouds Over Daytona’ and the ‘Mayfield Media Circus,'” he wrote. “Honestly, this is the last thing Shana or I want for anybody. This weekend shouldn’t be about a questionable drug test or a flawed drug testing system. It should be about celebrating our country, the greatest country in the world.

“So, enjoy the weekend with your friends and family, and have a very Happy Independence Day. We look forward to seeing you all at the track very soon.”

Mayfield said he hoped to be at next week’s race in Chicago. Saturday night is the eighth race he’s missed since his suspension, and the sixth event Mayfield Motorsports did not enter.

His suspension covered both his role as driver and owner of the No. 41 Toyota, and Mayfield had transferred ownership to his wife so the car could continue to compete during his absence. The team used J.J. Yeley for the first two races following his suspension.

NASCAR has been critical this weekend of Mayfield’s absence from Daytona, questioning why he needed an emergency hearing to be reinstated if he had no intention of immediatly returning to competition.

“I’m probably like a lot of people — when I hear the word ’emergency,’ I think of urgency and really needing to do something,” NASCAR chairman Brian France said. “So the fact that they didn’t bother to show up, you can make of that what you will. It is what it is.”

Mayfield said the Wednesday ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen did not give him enough time to make it to Daytona before Thursday’s entry deadline.

“There is nothing in the world that I would rather do than race for you all on the 4th of July,” he said. “We had less than twenty-four hours to prepare the car, assemble a team, get sponsorship and travel to Daytona. Ultimately, we were unable to get this done in time. We’ve decided that our time is best spent back here in North Carolina working around the clock to try and secure the funding needed to get the 41 Car to Chicago and beyond.

“Shana and I as well as everyone at Mayfield Motorsports will do everything in our power to race next weekend.”

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