news-record.com

CONCORD -- Track owner Bruton Smith suggests that NASCAR could be in for quite a fight with Jeremy Mayfield's lawyer should a lawsuit be filed.

Mayfield has retained high-profile Charlotte lawyer Bill Diehl to represent him as Mayfield fights his indefinite suspension for a positive drug test. No suit was filed last week but Diehl has given indications it could be filed this week.

Smith has known Diehl for more than two decades. Diehl represented Smith in his divorce and has represented Lowe's Motor Speedway in various legal matters.

So, what might NASCAR be in store for should Diehl and Mayfield challenge officials with a lawsuit?

"Bill Diehl is a junkyard dog," said Smith, Chairman and founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc. "I don't mean that other than he is tough. Tough lawyer, brilliant man. We don't need this lawsuit in our sport, but it appears it's going to happen."

Smith also joins the call of some drivers who say that NASCAR should reveal what caused Mayfield's positive test.

SPECIAL CLASS: Bill Elliott will make his 800th career start in today's Coca-Cola 600, joining an elite class. Only six other drivers have made as many starts. Richard Petty is the leader with 1,185 starts. He's followed by Ricky Rudd (906 career starts), Dave Marcis (883), Terry Labonte (862), Kyle Petty (829) and Darrell Waltrip (809).

BRISTOL TICKETS FOR SALE: Bristol Motor Speedway has tickets available for its Sprint Cup night race in August, which has been one of the toughest tickets to get in the sport.

The race is Aug. 22. Tickets go on sale June 9. The track has had 54 consecutive sellouts, including the March race.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office at (423) 989-6900 or by going to www.bristoltix.com.

TV TIME: Next weekend's Dover Cup race will be the final one of the year for Fox. TNT takes over for six races beginning at Pocono on June 7. TNT will again broadcast the July Daytona race with limited commercial interruptions as it has done in the past.

PIT STOPS: Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., reaffirmed Saturday that Kentucky Speedway won't have a chance to get a Cup date until a few of former track owners end their lawsuit against NASCAR for not giving the track a Cup date before. &ellipses; Juan Pablo Montoya says the idea of having double-file restarts with all the lead lap cars at the front (as opposed to now where cars a lap down start on the inside) "would be kind of stupid."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com