Maybe next week, Mayfield e-mail says
Saturday, Jul. 04, 2009
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Jeremy Mayfield’s return to the track will wait at least one more week.
In a statement e-mailed Saturday afternoon, Mayfield said he and his wife, Shana, elected not to attempt to make the Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway because of the short preparation time since his NASCAR suspension was lifted.
"There is nothing in the world that I would rather do than race for you all on the Fourth of July," the statement read. "We had less than 24 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 No. 41 car to Chicago and beyond."
NASCAR suspended Mayfield indefinitely May 9 after officials said he tested positive for methamphetamine. Shortly thereafter he sued in state court to be reinstated. The case was moved by NASCAR to federal court and on Wednesday, a federal judge in Charlotte issued a temporary injunction and lifted his suspension.
Yet despite indications in court to the contrary, neither Mayfield nor his team arrived in Daytona.
NASCAR officials has said they are still considering an appeal of the judge's decision. If he attempts next week's race at Chicagoland Speedway, Mayfield's team would not need to be at the track until Thursday.
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