The rebranded Haas Factory Team brought in a few changes. Their reigning Xfinity Series Champion Cole Custer was named the driver for the team’s Cup Series campaign next year, and two new names were announced for their Xfinity operation, leaving out Riley Herbst. One of the new names, Sam Mayer, belonged to JR Motorsports.

Mayer’s road to the Xfinity Series can be purely attributed to one factor, Chevrolet’s development program. He has also enjoyed success with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, having recorded two wins this season. Yet, the 21-year-old driver from JR Motorsports is switching allegiance to Ford next season. So, what motivated Mayer to leave the comfort of JR Motorsports in favor of the Haas Factory Team?

Sam Mayer’s move to the Haas Factory Team is a stepping stone

He has had a mercurial rise on the racing circuit. He won the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East Championships and moved to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports in 2021 as soon as he turned 18 years old. Since then, he has won six times, with four wins coming in the 2023 season and reaching the final four of the championship.

This season, the Chevrolet driver registered wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway and has already secured a playoff spot. But despite his success with JR Motorsports, where he could potentially win the Xfinity Series championship, Sam Mayer has opted to switch to the Haas Factory Team for the 2025 season. Why?

The young driver’s move to the Haas Factory Team was confirmed on Saturday, 17 August and he will be driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, alongside Sheldon Creed, currently at Joe Gibbs Racing. Mayer’s decision to join Haas Factor is down to his long-term view of securing a Cup Series ride.

Speaking after the announcement, the 21-year-old racing driver said, “Cup is my ultimate goal, and to really push myself to become the kind of driver who can succeed in Cup, I needed to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and hone my race skills so that when that Cup moment comes, I’m ready. The Haas team got Cole Custer ready for his moment and it’s a place that will help get me and Sheldon ready for our moments.”

And there you have it! Mayer, whose end goal is to race at NASCAR’s highest level, is hoping to follow in Custer’s footsteps. Having seen what Stewart-Haas Racing has done for the 26-year-old driver, Mayer believes that switching to Ford presents the best pathway to make his dreams come true. There may be some logic behind his reasoning.

With SHR, Cole Custer secured the Xfinity title last season and is currently at the top of the standings with a 12-point advantage over second-placed Justin Allgaier, incidentally of JR Motorsports. Custer will make his return to the Cup Series next season under the Haas Factory banner. Thus, Mayer has a clear indication of how his journey could unfold. But there is more to it.

As things stand, the Chevy development pipeline is full of exciting young drivers who are vying for a Cup Series ride for 2025. Shane van Gisbergen, who drives the No. 97 Chevy for Kaulig Racing has been heavily linked with a move to Trackhouse Racing, while Zane Smith could be on the move yet again.

In comparison, Ford has relatively less competition, as Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed seem to be the only long-term options, especially, considering that Front Row Motorsports have bought a third charter for the 2025 season and RFK Racing could follow suit. If that is taken into consideration, it’s not hard to see why Sam Mayer believes moving to Ford with the Haas Factory Team will make his Cup Series journey more straightforward.

Moreover, Riley Herbst who drove the No. 98 for SHR in the Xfinity won’t be returning to the team. Herbst had been part of the team for the last two years, but now is looking at other options following the arrival of Mayer and Creed for the two-car team operation in the Series.

Haas Factory’s move also strengthened Ford’s depleted driver pipeline caused by the departure of Herbst and Cole Custer’s move. After making the announcement, Haas Factory President Joe Custer sounded confident of success with Mayer and Creed. “For these two fellas to believe in our program enough, it says a lot. We plan on dominating next year. If we don’t, I’ll be responsible for that because we certainly have the drivers that can get it done.”

Custer’s words about dominating will sure get Mayer’s hopes up of making the Cup Series in no time, but his crew chief has urged patience in the process.

Mayer’s crew chief urges driver to remain patient

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Having won six times in the last 34 races, no driver has achieved as much success as Sam Mayer in the Xfinity Series since he claimed his first checkered flag. He is currently 13th in the driver standings, with seven top-five and 10 top-ten finishes in 21 races so far. At first glance, the 21-year-old driver might seem ready for the Cup Series, considering his rapid progress in the last few years. A key factor in his performances has been crew chief Mardy Lindley, who was reunited with Mayer in 2023, after working with the driver in 2019.

While his impatient approach to progress into the Cup Series can be attributed to his youthful enthusiasm and inexperience, Mardy Lindley has urged Mayer to remain patient and bide his time in the Xfinity Series. Speaking candidly, Lindley said, “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I would like to see him have one more year of Xfinity. Just more experience. That is a tough outlet, especially if you’re with a B [level] or C race team and not with one of the top-performing race teams. At the same time, you have to learn how to race that style of race and you have to learn that car. Sometimes, the sooner, the better.”

Lindley may have a point when it comes to Sam Mayer needing more experience before making the jump to NASCAR’s highest level. A factor that the 21-year-old driver can improve on is consistency, as Mayer wrecked out in three out of the opening four races of the 2024 season.

While some of them can be attributed to plain old bad luck, six DNFs already with five regular season races to go doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Mayer. With age on his side, there will be plenty of opportunities for Sam Mayer to progress into the Cup Series, as long as he shows consistent improvements on the track.

What are your thoughts about Sam Mayer’s move to the Haas Factory Team? Let us know in the comments!