Full Throttle

Maybe shocked is too strong a word or phrase.

How about, Ho-hum… what took Evernham so long? That seems to work better.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bill Elliott will replace Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 19 Dodge at Watkins Glen this weekend, furthering speculation that Mayfield is on his way out at Evernham Motorsports.

NASCAR’s official entry list Tuesday showed Elliott subbing for Mayfield, and the team later released a statement confirming the switch. It said Mayfield’s long-term future with Evernham is undecided — but his name had been removed from the company letterhead.

“This team has a great deal of potential and we just haven’t met the expectations this year,” car owner Ray Evernham said in a statement. “We will do whatever we need to get this car in the show for Watkins Glen. It’s important to our sponsors and it’s important to this team.”

Well, that says it all doesn’t it? Once your name is removed from official company correspondence it’s all over except the official press release announcing his firing.

The only question remaining is why it took so long? This move should have been made over a month ago when Mayfield first started whining about “absentee ownership.”

At the time I had visions of Mayfield headed Toyota’s way. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s possible he may be headed the same way, albeit for different reasons, as Buckshot Jones and Casey Atwood - oblivion.

If I were an owner of a multi-million dollar race team I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot lug wrench at this point. You just can’t expect to go public the way he did and not expect to pay a price. When you add to the mix the teams miserable performance that has done nothing but get worse as the year has progressed the end result was very predicable.

Evernham Motorsports, Jeremy Mayfield, NASCAR, Bill Elliot, NEXTEL Cup, Sports , Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle