Judge lifts suspension, says Mayfield can race this weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A judge lifted Jeremy Mayfield’s drug suspension Wednesday, saying the NASCAR driver is free to race at Daytona this weekend.

“The court finds the harm to Mr. Mayfield significantly outweighs any harm to NASCAR,” U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen said.

NASCAR had indefinitely suspended Mayfield on May 9 after he tested positive for methamphetamines on May 1.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said the organization has no immediate plans to file an appeal, but he didn’t rule it out.

“We are disappointed, but we respect the judge’s ruling,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said in a statement. “This is only a temporary injunction. The legal case continues beyond this point, and we will continue to make our case.”

Mayfield’s attorneys argued Wednesday that Mayfield has never shown any characteristics of a meth abuser and that he never had the opportunity to get his backup “B” sample tested by an independent laboratory.

Mullen said NASCAR can test Mayfield extensively, including hair samples, to determine “if he’s been a methhead or not.”

Outside the courtroom, Poston said NASCAR would indeed test Mayfield if he’s in Daytona Beach, Fla., this weekend.

Whether Mayfield will field a car is still a question. After the ruling he said he would definitely be at the speedway but has to work out the money for his race team to be there, too.