Talladega: Jeremy Mayfield preview

Jeremy Mayfield No. 19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T

Running at Talladega

"It takes everything to run well at a track like Talladega. You have to have good aero and a good motor. It just takes the whole deal to run well there. The driver seems to be the least important part. Handling doesn't seem to be as big a deal as it does at Daytona. You've got to have a fast race car. It all comes back to that to run well at Talladega."

Testing at Talladega

"We tested at Talladega. We feel like we learned a lot. How much of that is going to show up this weekend, I don't know. It takes some time after you do a test like that to get stuff you learned and turn into the results you want. I'm really excited about going down there though. I've had some good runs and gotten the pole a couple of times. I'm looking forward to it."

Draft

"Another key to Talladega is the draft. You have to be good at the draft. You can make all the deals you want, but we all know that deals don't always happen the way they are made. It all goes back to what kind of car you have."

Race Notes

* Winston Cup veteran Dick Trickle will drive the No. 91 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T fielded by Evernham Motorsports in the Talladega 500 this weekend. Trickle tested the car at Talladega as a research and development operation for Evernham Motorsports. At this time, there are no plans for Evernham Motorsports to field the car in any upcoming races.

STATS & FACTS

* This weekend's race marks Mayfield's 16th career visit to Talladega. He has two poles, one top-five and one top-10 finish in 15 visits to the track. Mayfield's most recent visit came in the April race of 2001 where he started 41st and finished 35th. His best finish at Talladega came in the fall race of 1998 where he started 24th and finished fifth. Mayfield earned the pole at Talladega in the fall race of 1996 and the spring race of 2000. He has led 4 races for a total of 22 laps at the track.

* Last week at Martinsville, Mayfield made his 14th visit to the half-mile track and started from the 19th spot. The No. 19 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T managed to stay out of serious trouble despite the "bump and run" that characterizes short track racing. Consistent and efficient work in the pits by the Dew Crew kept Mayfield in the hunt for his second top 10 of the season. Track position was crucial in the closing laps and a two-tire stop and a call to stay out with 10 laps to go kept Mayfield on the lead lap and at the front of the field when the race finally ended under caution. Mayfield's 11th place run was the highest finish for Dodge. He moves up in the Winston Cup championship points standings and is currently tied with Ryan Newman in the 16th spot, 20 points away from the top 15.

* Mayfield's finish at Martinsville moves him into a tie at 16th place in the Winston Cup points race. He is only 20 points out of the top-15. Since the Daytona 500 this February, Mayfield has moved up 23 spots in the championship points race (from 39th to 16th). His best overall finish in the points race came in the 1998 season where he ranked seventh at the season's end.

* Mayfield's second-place run this year at Las Vegas was his best run at the track and his best overall finish since the 2000 Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami where he finished second.

* His second place finish at Las Vegas qualified Mayfield for the Winston No Bull 5 $1 million bonus, which will be run at the Charlotte race in May.

* Coming into the 2002 season, Mayfield had 237 starts, with six poles (two at Talladega and one at Darlington, Dover, Rockingham, and Texas), three wins (two at Pocono, and one at California), 33 top fives and 58 top 10s. His most recent win came at Pocono in June of 2000.

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