He said:

I screwed up. NASCAR tested me…when I wanted go spot for someone at Nashville. I already have two NASCAR licenses, but they said I needed a spotter’s license, and that included taking a drug test. I took the test, and got a call a few days later saying I had tested positive for marijuana.

According to LaJoie, he smoked marijuana once after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He said:

I volunteer my time driving a golf cart taking people back and forth. I dropped one group off in the campground after the race, and there was a pretty good party going on. I did something I shouldn’t have done, and while I sure wish I had picked up a different bunch. I don’t blame any of them. I blame myself. You can’t fix stupid. 

LaJoie said he will do whatever NASCAR requires to be reinstated.

Later, NASCAR confirmed the suspension. LaJoie was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

All parties involved, including AEGIS Sciences, which runs NASCAR’s drug testing, are under gag order and cannot speak about the case. Thus, none of the parties would confirm or deny the report.

After failing the test, Mayfield said:

In my case, I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over-the-counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test.

Ryan McGee, also appearing on NASCAR Now, said that sources he talked to said that Mayfield’s explanation was possible. The combination of ingredients could make Mayfield’s test look like he was taking methamphetamine, but a second, more-conclusive test would have likely ruled that out. While McGee said that there was no way of knowing if Mayfield took the more-conclusive test thanks to a gag order and the privacy surrounding NASCAR drug test results, he called Mayfield’s explanation “possible, but very unlikely.”

Dr. David Black, of AEGIS, however, immediately disputed Mayfield’s claim of a false positive after his test, saying:

What we have is a clear violation of policy. … In my many years of experience, I have never seen a violation like this due to the combination of over-the-counter or prescription products. 

Mayfield failed a random drug test in May and was suspended indefinitely. He filed a suit against NASCAR challenging the suspension. He was hoping to get a temporary restraining order that would allow him to return to the track while the suit was ongoing. That request was denied.

In response, NASCAR filed a countersuit against Mayfield accusing him of willfully violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy, breaching his contract, and defrauding competitors of earnings. The suit contends that Mayfield was under the influence during races, and in those races won more than $150,000 that would have gone to other competitors.

After failing the test, Mayfield said the he had not received a copy of his results; a claim NASCAR quickly denied. At that point, I began questioning whether Mayfield was telling the truth. I, however, thought the positive test was a result of marijuana usage.

Mayfield still contends that his result was a false positive and that the combination led to the result. Both sides are waiting for their court date, which is expected to be sometime in late June.

In order to return to racing, Mayfield has to apply for reinstatement, which would require he enter a substance abuse program. Mayfield, however, has refused to do that.

I’m not sure whether Mayfield is telling the truth or not, but I think it is more likely that he is lying than it is he is telling the truth. If you consider NASCAR’s policy, and the uncertainty surrounding it, I would think that most drivers would be very cautious about taking anything, and they would check with NASCAR before taking anything.

As far as I can tell from researching this story, Mayfield didn’t disclose the Adderall until after he was test, which at the very least, looks suspect. That said, he is going to spend an awful lot of money defending himself in this case, and suing NASCAR. If he knows he is lying, why would he do that? It would seem he is going out of his way to damage his reputation. Why would he do that? I don’t know.

In the end, it’s up to the court to figure it out. But, I can tell you this: Mayfield has a lot to lose by sticking to his story, if it isn’t true.