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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jeremy Mayfield denied Thursday ever taking methamphetamines, doesn’t know how he failed a random drug test and said his indefinite suspension from NASCAR has ruined his driving career.
Mayfield’s denial comes in an affidavit that was among several hundred pages of documents filed by his attorneys in U.S. District Court. He’s been suspended since May 9 for failing a random drug test conducted eight days earlier at Richmond International Raceway.
“I have never taken methamphetamines in my life, and when accused of taking them I immediately volunteered to give another sample,” Mayfield said in the affidavit, which also says his offer of a second sample was denied.
NASCAR has refused to reveal what drug Mayfield was caught using, classifying it only as a “a dangerous, illegal, banned substance.” Mayfield has said his positive test stemmed from the combined use of Adderall for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Claritin-D for allergies — an explanation that was rejected by Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp. in Nashville, Tenn., which runs NASCAR’s testing program.
But Ohio forensic toxicologist Harry Plotnick disputed Black’s dismissal in an affidavit in support of Mayfield, saying a component of Claritin in certain circumstances “could produce a false positive for methamphetamine.”
Mayfield indicated he’ll try to qualify for next week’s race at Daytona International Speedway if a federal judge reinstates him.