Sam Mayer Locks Into Championship 4 With Homestead Win

In just 11 weeks, Sam Mayer has gone from never winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series Race to winning three times. His latest victory came in the Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 21st, which may be his most significant win yet.

Mayer took the lead from Cole Custer with 50 laps to go after Custer suffered a right-front tire blowout. Despite a fierce final lap challenge from Riley Herbst, Mayer held on to secure his spot in the Championship 4.

Mayer is the first driver in the Round of 8 to advance, while John Hunter Nemechek also looks promising heading into the next race at Martinsville Speedway with a 47-point advantage over the cut line.

Austin Hill and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five behind Herbst and Nemechek.

Nemechek commented on his solid performance, stating, “Overall, it was a solid day for us. We had a solid points day. The win by Sam Mayer prevented us from locking it up today, but we have a comfortable lead going into Martinsville. We won there earlier this year, so hopefully, we can have another solid day and secure our spot in Phoenix.”

Earnhardt had a better showing in his second start of the Xfinity Series season, although he was involved in an incident with his teammate Josh Berry late in the race, causing Berry to finish 31st.

The top ten finishers include Daniel Hemric, Parker Kligerman, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, and Joe Graf Jr.

The race was filled with playoff drama, with Custer, Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, and Sheldon Creed experiencing various issues.

Allgaier struggled with his racecar and made the mistake of staying out too long with a loose wheel, resulting in damage to the wheel and tire mechanisms. Despite falling back in the field, Allgaier managed to finish 15th, just behind Hill in the standings.

Chandler Smith’s day ended early after being involved in a multi-car incident on lap 97. He finished 34th.

Creed’s team employed a risky tire strategy, leaving him on old tires for an extended period. Unfortunately for Creed, a caution never came, and he ended up blowing a tire on the final lap, finishing in 26th.

Both Creed and Smith, along with Sammy Smith, are now in a must-win situation heading into the race at Martinsville.

The next NASCAR Xfinity Series race will take place at Martinsville Speedway on October 28th, with coverage airing on USA Network, MRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio at 3:30 p.m. ET.