Once again I am departing from my standard writing and babble!  I am compelled to write this story and I hope that you will understand.

A few years ago, I can’t remember exactly how many, maybe four or five to the best of my recollection, my oldest son, Jason introduced me to one of his good friends, Sol Rodriquez.  He impressed me as a very polite and well spoken young man. 

Now fast forward to about a year and a half ago, Jason tells me of the sudden and serious problems that have come to Sol’s wife Monica.  To make a long story short, she had been diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer with no known cure at that time.  Additionally, they have had one child and she was pregnant with the second child at the time of the diagnosis.  My son told me that Sol and Monica had a web site, that Monica was writing on that site about her journey through this ordeal.  Both Karen and I began to read her story and subscribed to the updates from their site. 

It was rivoting!  It wasn’t long before Monica and her life was intertwined with ours.  We celebated her victories and we were sad with the pit falls.  Monica exhibited courage, strength, and faith at a level far greater than most people twice her age!  Monica affected our lives profoundly, and I am sure many, many other lives as well.    

Monica Rodriquez fought the battle of her life for a year and a half, day in and day out, 24 hours a day!  

THAT BATTLE WAS, IN FACT, THE BATTLE FOR HER LIFE!!!!! 

At 8:02 pm on Monday, May 10, 2009, Monica Rodriquez lost her battle with life. 

If you wish to read her chronicles and story, go to www.solandmonica.com .  I would suggest that you scroll down to the bottom, which would be the start of the saga, and progress back to the top of the site.  It is a very compelling account of what she and her family went through for all those months culminating with Sol’s very short, succinct , and heart wrenching post of  8:02. 

Monica, go rest high on that mountain, your work on earth is done!

So now you understand the title of this post…….8:02pm!

A prominent authority on drug testing says that the indefinite baning of driver Jeremy Mayfield further indicates NASCAR’s need to make public their list of banned substances.  By making public NASCAR’s list of banned substances, it would protect that organization from legal retributions.

Sources close to the fact indicate that Mayfield took Claritin D, an over-the-counter allergy drug that contains pseudoephedrine, a substance banned by most sports.  Mayfield claims that the failed drug test was a results of a combining an over-the-counter drug and a prescription drug, a possibility that the doctor, Dr. David Black, who runs the NASCAR testing  said is not plausible.

But what bothers Dr. Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor who testified in front of Congress on performance-enhancing drugs, who also spent 25 years researching drug testing, is that the drivers are not provided a list of the banned substances.  All other professional sports, NBA, NFL, MLB, NCAA, and the PGA , all provide a list of substances that are banned by the governing body of that particular sport.  Dr. Yesalis doesn’t disagree with the findings of the test.  He, too, has never found a problem with Claritin D and positive drug tests!

Dr. Yesalis does state that , for legal reasons, NASCAR does need to be more up front on what they are looking for in their drug tests. (espn)

COMMENTARY:

It appears that the only recourse that Jeremy Mayfield has is to sue NASCAR, if he really is innocent of the accused drug violation.  That is because his offense is non appealable by the agreement that the drivers signed with NASCAR.

The flap with Mayfield’s drug test failure has opened up a very sensitive, and undoubtedly a hotly debated issue!  What is your take on this subject?

Saturday NASCAR suspended Jeremy Mayfield owner and driver of the #41 Toyota Cup team, Tony Martin a crewmember of the #34 Cup team, and Ben Williams a crewmember of the #16 Nationwide team for failing their random drug tests.

NASCAR didn’t reveal what substance that Mayfield is accused of using.  NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter did, however, say that it wan’t an alcohol related substance.

Mayfield has made a statement to the public. In part Mayfield states, “I believe that a combination of  prescribed medicine and over the counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test.  My doctor and I are working along with Dr. Black and NASCAR to resolve this matter.”

However, NASCAR disputes Mayfield’s explanation.  #41 Jeremy Mayfield’s assertion that the use of two allergy medicines led him to run afoul of NASCAR’s drug policy is not plausible the person in charge of running the program told USA Today (usatoday).  “What we have today is clear violation of the policy”, said Dr. David Black,  whose Tennessee-based Aegis Labs conducts NASCAR’s random testing program.  “In my many years of experience, I have never seen a violation like this due to over-the-counter prescription products.”  Black, citing NASCAR policy, declined to specify what caused Mayfield to test positive, saying it was “a drug of concern”.  Black said, “there’s no way a driver would be in violation” for using cold and allergy medications as directed!

NASCAR doesn’t  have a set list of banned substances.  However, the drivers were warned at the beginning of the season that they would be screened for steroids, amphetamines, and recreational drugs.

Mayfield must now complete a treatment program before he is allowed to return to racing.  “If that treatment program is successfully completed, then that competitor may seek reinstatement”, said a NASCAR spokesman.

As a side note, NASCAR’s first violator to this year’s substance abuse ruling was Paul Chodora.  Mr Chodora was a crewmember of, you guessed it, the #41 Mayfield Motorsports Toyota!  He is no longer employed with Mayfield Motorsports.

COMMENTARY:

Every man has his day in court, but it surely doesn’t look good for Jeremy Mayfield.  I say that with the knowledge of Dr. Black’s comments referencing the over-the-counter allergy medication and the extreme unlikliness of Mayfield’s account of how he tested positive.  If Mayfield is guilty, it puts  a HUGE  black eye on the sport!

What are your thoughts?  Participate in the poll and leave your comments  via the comments tab at the end of this post!

Once again I am departing from my standard/traditional writings.  Today is a very special and important day for me and hopefully for all of you!  This is the one day that we set aside to pay homage to that special person who holds a place in our hearts that  is reserved for one and only one person!  There is one person in all of our lives who we really do take for granted 364 days out of the year…….and that is our Mother!!   For all of our youth it is our Mom who nurtures us, who feeds us, who teaches us, who guides us, and through it all she asks nothing in return!  Through it all she still believes that her children are SAINTS, that they are very precious, and most of all that they hung the moon!!!  

I surely hope that today you take the time, make the effort, to do something very special for your mother.  Let her know just how much you love her and appreciate everything that she has done for you!  I am fortunate that at 58 years old, my Mom is still here.  Some of you are not that fortunate to still have your Mother around.  For those of you that don’t have your Mother here, I know that this day is less than a joyous one.  But hopefully today you will allow yourself to reflect on the good times from the past, it is my prayer that those thoughts might put a smile on your face and joy in your heart as you reminisce of days gone by! 

There are 4 women that are extremely important in my life!  I would like to let each one of them know that I  love them very much and appreciate all that they have done for me!! 

Obviously I want to thank my Mom, who has guided me and put up with my mischievousness and orneriness.  I cannot ever repay her for her patience, kindness, and guidance!  The next woman I need to thank is my sister, Zeeva!  She was my babysitter, kinda sorta as I was growing up, she too put up my shenanigans.  I know that I annoyed the living crap out of her!  My little granddaughter, Hannah, doesn’t know that she has a big impact on her “Papa”!  But the innocence of a yong child has profound impact on your life.

I have saved the best for last.  There  is an old saying that goes something like this.  You don’t realize what you have until you loose it, or something like that!  Well, I am fortunate to have regained one of the biggest loses in my life! ( I took off 16 years for “bad behavior”!)  That person is the love of my life, my best friend, and also my wife…….Karen!!!

To all four of the women in my life, I would like to tell you that I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being in my life!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

This week NASCAR rolls into Darlington Speedway.  That is not earth shaking news, in and of  itself.  But what is earth shaking is what they have named the race.  The Darlington Speedway management has brought back  the long standing traditional name of ” The Southern 500″!  Granted, “The Southern500″ was traditionally run during the Labor Day Weekend in September each year.  But since loosing one of it’s racing dates, the Darlington race was rescheduled for the middle of May.  Also the name,”The Southern 500″ disappeared off of  the schedule.

The Darlington Speedway was THE original superspeedway in NASCAR.  The first race was held on Labor Day, 1950.  Harold Brassington, the track builder, was expecting no more that maybe 10,000 people to attend this race.  However, as it turned out, more than 25,000 people were in attendance for that Labor Day race in 1950!  The winning driver that afternoon was Californian Johnny Mantz, completing the 500 mile race in SIX hours!  They now complete the 500 miles in about 3:30 minutes!

The most exciting race at Darlington recent memory ocurred on March 16, 2003.  That race involved one Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch (aka Ears Laid Back, ELB).  After trading the lead for several laps, these two drivers came out of turn #4  beating and banging on each other.   As they crossed the start/finish line Busch”s #99 Ford and Craven’s #32 Pontiac were wrecking and, at the same time, racing for the win and the Checkered Flag!  Ricky Craven won the race by the narrowest of margins!

The year’s race is the 60th anniversary for the marriage between Darlington and NASCAR!  If that isn’t tradition, then I don’t know what is!  Likewise, the #43 Richard Petty Blue Plymouth in the picture above is the epitome of tradition.  As long as there has been NASCAR, there has been a Petty involved in the race!  First there was Lee Petty, later King Richard Petty, then came Kyle Petty as drivers.  These days there is Richard Petty Motorsports as a car owner!

Now you may be asking, just what does tradition smell like?  It smells like hot dogs and hamburgers.  It smells like popcorn, Coca Cola, and ice cold beer.  It smells like families gathering to root on their favorite driver to victory.  It smells like warm motor oil, horsepower and burning rubber!! 

That is what tradition smells like!