Having finished the 2023 Xfinity Series season on a high, Sam Mayer wanted to elevate his performance this year. However, the early goings in the 2024 season had nothing but a steep learning curve for the JR Motorsports driver. He did manage to secure a vital win at Texas against Ryan Sieg in a dramatic fashion, but he wasn’t content with his run.

Then came a series of top-five results, followed by his second win at Iowa Speedway. And this is exactly how Mayer was aiming for his season to pan out. But it wasn’t just his brilliance on the racetrack that helped him overturn his fortunes. Rather, it was a collective effort of his team members, family, and friends that saw him overcome the early jitters.

A runner-up finish at Martinsville ushered in a positive change for Sam Mayer

Now Mayer isn’t just eyeing a championship run in the Xfinity Series. He has more ambitious plans, such as being promoted to the Cup level. Therefore, a streak of bad results early in the season was a big jolt for him to reach his goals. Fortunately, a P2 finish at Martinsville Speedway ushered in a positive change for the #1 team. And since then they haven’t looked back.

Mayer, while speaking on NASCAR Live Episode 131 on Spotify, explained how he managed to overcome the rough patch. “Coming out of Martinsville with a solid finish. Still wish I had the grandfather clock in the corner of my house, but that’s another story. But just the confidence that I get from coming back in. It lifts the weight a little bit off of what has been just an awful part of the year.”

A good group of people can do wonders for a race car driver. And this has been true in Mayer’s case in scripting a comeback story. “The lows, as you said, you can’t let the lows get too low, but when you have really good people around me like I do, like my family, friends, and significant others, they keep the highs in check and they keep the lows from getting low.”

We have seen Cole Custer from the Xfinity Series secure his move to the Cup Series. Going by the speculations and silly season drama, Mayer is also touted to be in the running for a rookie season in the Cup Series next year.

Mayer is eager to level up

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The second Xfinity Series win at Iowa saw the Wisconsin native vent out his frustration for being considered as a prospect by the Cup Series teams. With Stewart Haas Racing departing from NASCAR in 2024, there was a lot of shuffling between the teams. And Mayer, who thinks he’s proved his worth at the Xfinity level, was feeling left out.

“Yea, it kind of pisses me off to be honest with you. I feel like we’ve proved ourselves a lot more, like I’m dead serious, it makes me so mad that my name isn’t in more hats with race teams. So, hopefully, today kind of put my name in a couple of them,” Mayer said after the race. Making the championship 4 last season and looking to improve that run in 2024 certainly has put him on the radar for a few teams that might consider signing him.

Kaulig Racing could be a good option for the JRM star, as the team could decide on a single driver leading the charge for their No. 16 car. Currently, a total of five drivers share the duties of running the race car, which includes the likes of AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen. Front Row Motorsports is another team that is looking for a young driver. Especially after Todd Gilliland was promoted to a leadership role along with the arrival of Noah Gragson.

It’s too early to say if Sam Mayer will secure his dream move to the Cup Series. Perhaps a couple more victories and a championship run could open the doors for the opportunities he’s been looking for.