Judge: Mayfield can race despite test

Updated: Wednesday, 01 Jul 2009, 3:03 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 01 Jul 2009, 11:56 AM CDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A judge has lifted Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, saying the NASCAR driver should be allowed to race.

U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen says "the court finds the harm to Mr. Mayfield significantly outweighs any harm to NASCAR."

NASCAR had indefinitely suspended Mayfield on May 9 after he tested positive for methamphetamines on May 1.

In his ruling Wednesday, Mullen says NASCAR can test Mayfield extensively, including hair samples, to determine "if he's been a methhead or not."

Mayfield's attorneys argued in the Charlotte, N.C., court that Mayfield has never shown any characteristics of a meth abuser and that he never had the opportunity to get his backup "B" sample tested by an independent laboratory.

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