Born: May 27, 1969 - Owensboro, Kentucky
American race car driver
Jeremy Mayfield currently drives the #19 Dodge Dealers' Intrepid for Ray Evernham Racing, alongside long-time fan favorite Bill Elliot in the #9 Intrepid. Previously, he drove for Penske Racing (the team that features Rusty Wallace) in the #12 Mobil 1 Taurus (which itself is now driven by newcomer hotshot Ryan Newman).
Recently Mayfield has not been a consistent winning driver (he is winless since 2000; his best season was in 1998 when he finished 7th in Winston Cup points), but he has a strong track record in ARCA and regional weekly series -- in 1993 he earned the ARCA RE/MAX rookie of the year award. Jeremy started racing in local stock series in 1987, following five years of successful kart racing.
Most, however, know him due to the enormously successful Dodge commercial featuring Mayfield picking up a date who has just finished bathing in motor oil, styling her hair with car wax, and daubing on gasoline in lieu of perfume. As she climbs into his stock car, they chat:
Her: Hey, Jeremy!
Him: Hey. Is that Octane 93 you're wearing?
Her: Yeah, you like it?
Him: Oh, yeah.
Now, fans (and non-fans) everywhere greet Mayfield with a drawl-laden "Heeeey, Jeremy" or the question, "Is that Octane 93 yer wearin'?".
Update: September 2004
Jeremy Mayfield won the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at
Richmond, Virginia. This puts him at ninth place in the NASCAR
Nextel Cup standings going into the final ten races for the
inaugrural "Chase for the Championship."