Mayfield fired by Evernham
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Mayfield, the driver of the No. 19 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports, has been terminated, owner Ray Evernham said.
?It was purely performance,? Evernham said Friday. ?The car and the team is not where it should be to represent sponsors. We?re out of the top 35 in points now. We just haven?t delivered as a group.?
Mayfield was told Monday, a day before Bill Elliott was listed to replace Mayfield for Sunday?s AMD at The Glen. That fueled speculation that Mayfield was on the way out.
?It?s one of those things where, as hard as you try to turn things around, if they?re not working you have to make a change to get it to work,? Evernham said. ?Certainly, it has not been for a lack of effort.?
Evernham said Elliott, who stopped racing a full schedule after 2003, would drive the car when his schedule permits. Elliott, soon to be 51, already is slated to drive five more races this season.
?I need a 25-year-old Bill Elliott ? somebody that wants to drive,? Evernham said.
Being in the top 35 in points is crucial because it guarantees a spot each week in the 43-car field, and Mayfield had been increasingly frustrated about his performance this year. He finished in the top 10 and qualified for the Chase for the Nextel Cup championship the last two seasons but had fallen to 36th in the standings this year. He said last weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway he doubted he would be back next year.
?When performance is not up to par, there?s always frustration on both sides,? Evernham said. ?The decision was primarily made based on the performance of the car and not being able to get it any better. In fact, it was getting worse.?
Evernham said he?d soon announce plans for next season. It?s been widely speculated that Elliott Sadler will replace Mayfield. Erin Crocker, who has been driving in the Craftsman truck and Busch series, is not a candidate because of her lack of experience.
?Just having Bill Elliott back in the car is pleasant again,? Evernham said. ?What I need to do is just find a little fountain of youth, and everything will be fixed.?
The team was reeling after last Sunday?s race in Indianapolis. Mayfield crashed out early, and Kasey Kahne, who drives Evernham?s No. 9 Dodge, was involved in a last-lap accident that cost him a top-10 finish. He wound up 36th and dropped four spots in the standings to 11th ? out of Chase eligibility.
With only five races left before the cutoff for the Chase, Evernham wants to get Kahne back in the top 10.
Today?s Lineup
The starting lineup for today?s AMD at the Glen, with each driver?s position, car number, name, make and qualifying time:
1. 2. Kurt Busch, Dodge, 71.727 seconds (122.966 m.p.h.)
2. 9. Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 72.387
3. 12. Ryan Newman, Dodge, 72.508
4. 24. Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 72.633
5. 48. Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 72.789
6. 7. Robby Gordon, Chevy, 72.806
7. 29. Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 73.026
8. 20. Tony Stewart, Chevy, 73.126
9. 5. Kyle Busch, Chevy, 73.129
10. 11. Denny Hamlin, Chevy, 73.197
11. 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevy, 73.323
12. 38. Elliott Sadler, Ford, 73.331
13. 40. Scott Pruett, Dodge, 73.360
14. 07. Clint Bowyer, Chevy, 73.436
15. 60. Boris Said, Dodge, 73.451
16. 31. Jeff Burton, Chevy, 73.464
17. 42. Casey Mears, Dodge, 73.500
18. 32. Ron Fellows, Chevy, 73.583
19. 25. Brian Vickers, Chevy, 73.637
20. 6. Mark Martin, Ford, 73.715
21. 99. Carl Edwards, Ford, 73.789
22. 66. Jeff Green, Chevy, 73.856
23. 21. Ken Schrader, Ford, 73.880
24. 26. Jamie McMurray, Ford, 73.924
25. 22. Dave Blaney, Dodge, 73.937
26. 18. J.J. Yeley, Chevy, 73.946
27. 90. Marc Goossens, Ford, 73.991
28. 4. Scott Wimmer, Chevy, 74.000
29. 96. Terry Labonte, Chevy, 74.066
30. 17. Matt Kenseth, Ford, 74.073
31. 19. Bill Elliott, Dodge, 74.097
32. 10. Scott Riggs, Dodge, 74.134
33. 55. Michael Waltrip, Dodge, 74.178
34. 15. Paul Menard, Chevy, 74.228
35. 1. Martin Truex, Jr., Chevy, 74.371
36. 43. Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 74.371
37. 01. Joe Nemechek, Chevy, 74.429
38. 45. Kyle Petty, Dodge, 74.514
39. 88. Dale Jarrett, Ford, 74.618
40. 41. Reed Sorenson, Dodge, owner points
41. 16. Greg Biffle, Ford, owner points
42. 14. Sterling Marlin, Chevy, owner points
43. 34. Brian Simo, Chevy, 74.251