The NASCAR Cup Series garage is undergoing a massive upheaval. Several drivers, including Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr, are vacating their long-held seats. Tony Stewart’s team, Stewart-Haas Racing, will close its shutters at the end of this year, floating its four charters in the market. This major shuffle spells enormous consequences beyond the Cup Series, especially for Xfinity drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Xfinity team, JR Motorsports, fields some bright faces. One of them has particularly grabbed the spotlight over the past year. But this fresh talent is worried as no Cup prospects have glimmered for him yet. Who is it? Sam Mayer. Veteran Cup driver Denny Hamlin sided with Mayer’s concerns, but he also asked him to wait.

Denny Hamlin sees potential in Dale Jr’s stud

On Tuesday’s episode of Actions Detrimental, Jared Allen told Hamlin about Sam Mayer’s Xfinity win in Iowa on Saturday. With all these free seats in the Cup Series now, the 20-year-old was asked about his prospects of racing in the top division of NASCAR. Seeing as no team has come around yet, he said, “It kind of p*sses me off, to be honest with you. I feel like we’ve proved ourselves a lot more, like, I’m dead serious.” And, well, Hamlin agreed with his sentiment. 

He said, “I guess you can kind of understand that. This was his second win of the season. I think he’s performed really good on the road courses. I think he’d have like three road course wins or something. That is a big part of our schedule nowadays.” There was a time when many speculated Sam Mayer’s seat at JR Motorsports to be in jeopardy. His first part-time stint with the team did not begin well, as he registered 6 DNFs in his first 13 races. The odds did not get better for the driver, as after 5 more races, he had just a single top-10 to his name.

He entered a full-time year in 2022, hoping for a change in his fortunes. However, he could not clinch a win despite respectable results. 2023 began on the same note for him, giving rise to more doubts, and then something changed! Mayer began to secure near-wins before outracing Parker Kligerman for his first career victory at Road America. Then, Watkins Glen, Charlotte, and finally, an oval at Miami – he showcased his versatility by conquering different types of tracks. The No. 1 Chevy driver clinched his sixth career victory this Saturday in Iowa. However, despite his unstoppable Xfinity glory, Denny Hamlin believes it might be best not to rush it.

Dale Jr’s stud should rake in more Xfinity wins until the Cup radar automatically recognizes him. “You know, getting in the right situation matters. If you take the first thing that comes your way, it can sometimes be a bad look for you. He’s got more time to just go out there and win more races, and that’s gonna catch people’s eye.” He added that pointless Cup runs do not mean much. “I’m definitely of the opinion [that] winning Friday or Saturday is better than running 25th on Sunday… I don’t think it’s close.”

Besides the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck advantage, Sam Mayer should wait for another glaring reason – the number on his birthday cake.

Hamlin believes Mayer has a fruitful road ahead

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Sam Mayer entered Dale Jr’s Late Model program in 2018 at merely 15 years old. He was just 17 when he clinched his first NASCAR Truck win at Bristol Motor Speedway. Barely over his teens, the Xfinity stud is yet to crack adulthood. Hence, Mayer has not even had his first legal alcoholic beverage. JR Motorsports resorts to celebrating his wins with chocolate milk toasts.

Thus, Denny Hamlin believes he has ample time left to prove his Cup mettle. “I think that Same Mayer just needs a little bit more time to get more refined. The good news is, he’s young enough… I wouldn’t rush it. You know, getting in the right situation matters.” Hamlin added that with more Xfinity medals, Mayer’s Cup prospects will be smooth like butter. 

“Let’s say he won 15 races in the next 3 years and he’s 24 years old. To me, that’s a top prospect to go race on Sunday.” Evidently, Sam Mayer has a long, glittering road ahead of him. Despite his complaints of being left out, Dale Jr’s pupil will most likely have plenty of chances to compete at the Cup level.