CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR accused Jeremy Mayfield of lying to a federal court about the chronology of a second random drug test, offering to provide an audiotape of the conversation in which Mayfield was told to submit a sample. The driver said the telephone call went to voice-mail. The accusation came yesterday in court filings that ask U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen to lift the July 1 injunction he granted Mayfield so he could return to racing.

INDIANAPOLIS—Jeremy Mayfield is back under suspension for a failed random drug test after an appeals court ruled in NASCAR’s favor yesterday, issuing a stay on the injunction that gave the driver the right to return to the race track. The one-page decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stands until NASCAR’s full appeal can be heard.

Jeremy Mayfield is back under suspension for a failed random drug test after an appeals court ruled in NASCAR’s favor, issuing a stay on the injunction that gave the driver the right to return to the race track.

Attorneys for Jeremy Mayfield say a federal judge should not reverse the ruling that lifted the drivers’ indefinite suspension for failing a random drug test. In a motion filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C., Mayfield’s lawyers contend Judge Graham Mullen properly ruled when he granted a July 1 injunction. The filing is a response to NASCAR’s request that Mullen’s order be put on hold as the decision is appealed to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.

NASCAR said Jeremy Mayfield once again tested positive for methamphetamine and asked the federal judge who lifted the driver’s drug suspension to reinstate the ban. The positive result from a July 6 random test was included in a U.S. District Court filing yesterday that included an affidavit from Mayfield’s stepmother, who claimed she personally witnessed the driver using methamphetamine at least 30 times in a seven-year period.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - An overheated Kyle Busch received intravenous fluids yesterday following his driving stint in the Grand-Am race, then retreated to his motorhome to rest before NASCAR’s 400-mile Sprint Cup event. Busch, the defending race winner of NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400, drove 70 minutes in his sports car series debut. He split the Chip Ganassi-owned ride with fellow NASCAR driver Scott Speed.

When NASCAR people talked about the need for speed, methamphetamines weren’t part of the conversation. Suddenly, they’re talking about little else. What ignited all the talk was driver Jeremy Mayfield’s come-from-behind win earlier this week in what promises to be a long and grueling legal race. Fair or not, the only way Mayfield wins - let alone makes it to the end - is if he turns out to be a better plaintiff than driver.

Brian France defended NASCAR’s drug testing policy as the toughest in professional sports, despite a federal judge’s ruling that overturned driver Jeremy Mayfield’s suspension. Mayfield was indefinitely suspended May 9 for what NASCAR said was a positive test for methamphetamines. He sued to be reinstated, and a federal judge issued an injunction Wednesday that allowed Mayfield to return to competition based on Mayfield’s argument that NASCAR’s testing system is flawed.

Jeremy Mayfield missed the deadline to enter this weekend’s race after successfully fighting NASCAR to get back behind the wheel following a failed random drug test. His only hope for participating in tomorrow night’s race at Daytona International Speedway is as a relief driver, a change NASCAR must approve. “That’s something that’s at the discretion of the series director,“ said John Darby, director of the Sprint Cup Series.

Danica Patrick says she is not likely to make any announcement about her future in racing until after the IndyCar Series season is finished in October. The only woman to win a major open-wheel race in history is in the final year of her three-year contract with Andretti-Green Racing. She says she is in the process of gathering information about what her options will be next season in open-wheel racing and possibly NASCAR.

Jeremy Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamines during a random drug test at Richmond International Raceway on May 1, ESPN.com reported. The story cited two independent sources providing the information Monday night. Because of a gag order issued by a North Carolina judge May 29, neither party is allowed to discuss Mayfield’s test results.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—When Jeremy Mayfield failed a drug test, NASCAR immediately suspended him indefinitely, eager to quickly address the situation. Nine days later, Mayfield’s still the talk of the garage—for all the wrong reasons.

NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield, seen with wife Shana Mayfield on May 8, has been suspended indefinitely, and has hired J.J. Yeley to driver the No. 41 Toyota during this weekend’s all-star event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. NASCAR chairman Brian France said yesterday he considers performance-enhancers and recreational drugs to be serious violations.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—A crew member for Jeremy Mayfield’s team has been suspended indefinitely for violating NASCAR’s new substance-abuse policy. Paul Chodora, listed as the team’s front tire carrier, failed a mandatory test Feb. 11 at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR said today. He’s the first person punished under a policy that went into effect this season.