Mayfield, Evernham,
Crocker, and Sadler in—As the (NASCAR) World Turns
August 23, 2006
Jay Staton - SCR
Ah, the daytime soaps. Sooner or later
each character seems to pair up with a character other than their beloved. And invariably, there are always many that are
upset or, worse yet, hurt by it.
And as the old saying goes, sometimes
truth is stranger than fiction, and it certainly holds true more often than not these days in the high profile, often soap-opera-like
world of NASCAR.
Here are the cast of characters in
the latest episodes:
RAY EVERNHAM—Not a bad guy at
all. He mentored Jeff Gordon and was certainly responsible in no small part for putting him where he is today and for putting
the powerhouse that is Hendrick Motorsports where it is today. Ray is known for his team approach and ability to bring calm
to a race team when the chips are down.
JEREMY MAYFIELD—Not a bad guy
either. A journeyman racer, Jeremy has been around the ol’ counter-clockwise block a few times. He has soldered on while
other high profile types have insisted on taking most of the glory in the teams he has been a part of. Jeremy is known for
keeping a cool head on the track and the fenders on the car, as evidenced by his presence in “The Chase” in ’04
and ’05.
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ERIN CROCKER—Young, sharp, articulate,
ready to move to the highest level of racing if possible, she also is certainly not a “bad guy”.
ELLIOT SADLER—Makes his entrance
in the last act, and we will return to Mr. Sadler at that time…
So how did this trio of basically
good souls come to be in the unkind glare of the media spotlight, faced with questions that they don’t like because
they don’t like the answers that they would have to give? Furthermore, how has it affected them on a personal level?
As most of us reading these words can attest to, it is a familiar case of basically good people making basically bad choices,
and paying the inevitable consequences for them.
Ray Evernham took marriage vows years
ago with a wife that has spent most of her time being in the background of the responsibilities and grueling schedule of the
NASCAR season, which is a never ending 12 month a year deal. Ray made a bad decision in ignoring those vows—vows which
historically morally can only nullified, ironically, by one’s spouse being unfaithful.
His morals are now questioned, his teams are no doubt getting their share of abuse at the watering holes around Charlotte,
and every move of his private life is currently under a microscope (yes, Ray, that would be a no option deal). Additionally,
Chrysler-Daimler recently held a press conference to “show their support”. It is a fair bet that the discussions
behind closed doors are not a lot different than those that preceded the press conference Ray and Jeremy had not to long ago…Finally,
Ms. Evernham’s settlement has undoubtedly just gone significantly up.
Jeremy also made a bad choice—to
belittle Evernham publicly out of frustration or design in order to ensure that he could be available to drive for someone
else next year. Regardless of the reason, he could have chosen to suggest to Ray
that his actions were inappropriate for Ray’s sake, and he could have chosen to request his release at the end of the
year. But his choice was one of vindictiveness, and it resulted in perhaps the worst punishment that there is for a driver—to
have to sit home and watch others race on Sunday. And do not think that Bill Davis is not going to keep a close eye on Mr.
Mayfield as he does not want to have his own media problem if things do not go exactly as planned next year. Henceforth, it
is a fair bet that in the future, Mayfield’s car owners will make a pre-emptive strike when it comes to contract negotiations
with Jeremy.
And then there is Erin, probably seen by many as a “victim”.
She, the aspiring protégé, and Ray, someone she could seemingly trust, taking advantage of her—balderdash! She was certainly
aware of Ray’s marital status, and certainly does not fall into the naïve waif category. It takes two to tango, and
Ms. Crocker made the wrong decision regarding their professional status with her car owner. Now, instead of a promising career
that could have quickly led to Cup, there will always be whispers of just which
skill has earned her the ride. Ironically, the only way for her to escape this judgment is to drive, and win, for another team.
Enter ELLIOT SADLER—The fourth
good guy. Elliott essentially paid the Woods Brothers when he wanted to prematurely end his contract to drive for Robert Yates.
Elliot actively promotes the ongoing fight, with his brother Hermie, against autism, and finally, Elliot champions the baloney
burger! He has now moved from Robert Yates Racing to drive for Evernham in the vacuum of Mayfield’s dismissal. Although
his former team is certainly not at its strongest point right now, in response to pointed media questions Elliot has said
nothing negative regarding RYR before or after moving to Evernham Motorsports.
And look what it has earned him—the
immediate respect of a team which probably felt a little like the laughing stock of the garage area, and a fine tenth place
finish right out of the box.
Is Elliot an inherently better person
than the other three? There is only one judge of that for certain, and regardless, that judge is capable of forgiveness all
the way around, thankfully for the players in this month’s mini-series.
Like the characters involved in the
story above, there is good in all of us, and each of us have made mistakes along the way. Regrets of the past are as done
a deal as last year’s championship, the only question is: Moving forward, do we want to create a soap opera, or, like
Elliot Sadler, stand strong and forge a happy ending?
The answer is obvious and, like the
performance based NASCAR series, it is up to each of us to execute.
2006 StockCar Review.
