Full Throttle

Who didn’t see this coming?

U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen has denied NASCAR’s request to permanently lift the injunction he issued July 1 that had allowed suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield to race.

Why was it easy to see this coming you might ask?

Judge Mullen had no choice, he was over ruled by a high court.

NASCAR had already filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals, which ordered a stay on the injunction July 24 until the appeal could be heard. A hearing on the appeal is not expected until at least October.

Until then Mayfield is suspended.

So Judge Mullen did what he had to do, followed procedure, lifted the suspension for what that’s worth, which obviously isn’t much, and washed his hands of the entire matter.

Better luck in October Jeremy, but I wouldn’t be planning any grand celebrations.

In related matters of the “druggie” kind, three more NASCAR members have been suspended for drug use, and or possession.

Richard Henninger, a Roush-Fenway and David Ragan crew member, and two members of the Tatman Motorsports NCWTS team, crew chief Gary St. Amant and crew member Mike Hennessy have all been suspended under NASCAR’s random drug testing policy.

It has to be said Gary St. Amant is no small fish, he’s not only a crew chief, second in importance to a team behind the driver, but he’s also a NASCAR short track legend.

St Amant has only had 5 starts in the truck series over the last 13 years, he has plenty of short track racing experience behind him.

In fact, he has twenty five years behind him. He’s a two-time ASA champion, 2007 USAR Hooters Pro Cup North champion, several starts in the prestigious Snowball Derby held at New Smyrna Speedway Five Flags Speedway (corrected by a pinhead in the comment section who turns simple error into an ill advise slam) and countless wins at short tracks from Irwindale in the west to Myrtle Beach in the east.

Defiantly not a small fish. But a dumb one if the test is what it’s alleged to be.

If not counting, I believe this makes 13 the number of NASCAR members that have popped positive since the new testing policy went into effect in February.

UPDATE: Regardless to Mullen’s ruling, he also stated in the order issued Tuesday that because of new factual developments in the case and a new preliminary injunction standard recently introduced by the U.S. Court of Appeals, he would have been inclined to grant NASCAR’s request. [Boldface mine]

It’s pretty safe to say the new “factual developments” was a third positive drug test that was entered into the record.

All the posts related to Le Affair Mayfield can be read here.