Jeremy Mayfield Leaves Haas Racing No. 70

Jeremy Mayfield is once again a free agent in the NASCAR world.

The 5-time winner in the Sprint Cup Series left his ride with Haas Racing as driver of the No. 70 car just seven races into the season in what has been described as a "mutual" situation. (Is it ever really mutual though?)

Haas plans to put Johnny Sauter in the car starting Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway.

Mayfield, who has bounced around the Sprint Cup world for the past few years making just 22 starts in 2006 and 17 in 2007, scored his best finish of the season at Las Vegas when he came home 16th. Five other races, though, saw Mayfield finish 30th or worst.

Sauter drove for the Haas team in 2006 and had some respectable runs, including a 9th-place finish a year ago at Phoenix and a 5th-place at Richmond in the fall. At the end of the season, though, Sauter was canned by the team along with teammate Jeff Green in favor of Mayfield and Scott Riggs.

I've always liked Johnny Sauter as a driver though his style can be ragged at times. If given the right equipment, Sauter can be a consistent driver inside the Top-35.

But then again, I thought Mayfield could do the same.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-09-2008 @ 5:33PM

anzajoe said...

DEFENETELY, I'M NOT
going to waste much time and words on a driver like
MAYFIELD. The dude should had retired a long time ago even before he left EVERNHAM MS.

4-09-2008 @ 6:02PM

Don Emerson said...

I've never been impressed with Mayfield and am amazed that he has been able to hang on this long. I too like Sauter, even though his driving is a little rough around the edges at times. What I don't understand is why Nascar teams are having such a hard time locating fresh talent. Every week it seems that one team or another has signed a tried and true has-been to a contract in an effort to be competitive. A no talent driver is still a no talent driver even if you change his uniform. I say let's bring some "new" blood into Nascar before the old "blood" puts us to sleep. Works for me.....

4-09-2008 @ 8:30PM

Mike said...

Well Don let's see. The top 35 drivers don't even have to try to get into the field every week. Throw in a couple provisionals and you have about 15 drivers competing for 6 spots. Then you have half the field in every Nationwide race made up of Sprint Cup regulars. Where is Nascar supposed to even look for new talent. They have locked out all but the very best or the very richest.
MBL

4-09-2008 @ 10:43PM

Steve said...

As a KY native, I must say I'm not impressed with Mayfield. I remember about 10 yrs ago, he was all everyone talked about. But now, he's stunk it up ever since leaving Evernham. Haas CNC made a terrible mistake when they canned Green and Sauter (in the top 35) for Riggs and Mayfield (out of the top 35). Maybe Haas will keep Sauter and work with him on his inconsistency.

4-09-2008 @ 11:41PM

Yvonne D. Wolf said...

This is the best news , I've heard all day !!!!! My there is a god ater all !!!!! Good bye Mayfeild & may you never come back !!!!

4-10-2008 @ 12:41AM

So true Mike, sadly it's not how good you are as a driver anymore, but who you know. Nascar has been taken over by big corporations, and I've never known that to happen to anything without dire results for the little man. The more Spring Cup drivers, the smaller the talent pool becomes in the Nationwide series. In the end, we as fans pay for the greed of the big money interests. Somewhere in some lab, a group of scientists are probably designing the DOT's to drive the COT's. Works for me.....

4-10-2008 @ 2:01AM

Ed said...

I'm surprised Jeremy lasted this long. He came into the series with top teams and worked his way to the bottom. I believe his head got too big and he knew more than the crew cheifs and team. He was already at the bottom. Where does he think he's going now?
Even Kenny Wallace does better.

4-10-2008 @ 1:22PM

Nancy said...

Well I assume everyone making these these comments never drove a race car. Go to one of the race tracks that let you drive the track, The man gave it his best. Ever think it may be because of things your not aware of. I give major shout outs to anyone, Female/Male that has the Balls to even get on a race track with all that craziness. Leave the man alone.

4-11-2008 @ 12:00AM

Sherry said...

I'm from Owensboro, Ky, and Jeremy has never been much of anything here. I think they're all focused on Michael Waltrip and the Green brothers, and that's fine with me. Personally, I'm a Jimmie Johnson fan, but to agree with Ed in the above statement that Kenny Wallace could do better; he probably could, and he would be a whole lot funnier than Jeremy. Go #48 !!