The NASCAR Xfinity Series is at a critical juncture and after the Homestead Miami race, it seems as though the tables have turned. The 2023 race saw Sam Mayer going to the victory lane at Miami. However, this time, the race did not go as one would expect. With the Xfinity Series Championship 4 spots filling up quickly, Mayers is in a very tough situation. 

Currently, Mayer is left with only the deciding race at the Martinsville Speedway. This will be the ultimate decider race that will finally give way to his fortune at the Top 4. 

Disappointing Run at Homestead Miami Gives Way to Last Hope

Do you think that Mayer can make it to the top 4 even when he is currently 47 points below the cutline? It certainly seems to be a distant dream! Even his entry to the Top 8 had been riddled with controversies. Mayer had a controversial win at the Cure 250. There were hopes that he would be able to mark his victory at the Homestead Miami Speedway. This came as an expectation after Mayer emerged victorious in the same race a year ago, in 2023. 

However, the Miami Speedway was not a dream run for Mayer. The race started in a promising tone where Mayer managed to climb up to the 6th position at around the 14th lap of Stage 1. But he soon slipped away and ended Stage 1 in 7th position. The start of Stage 2 saw Mayer slipping yet one more position down the leaderboard. He started running in the middle of the track trying to regain as many points as he could. However, Stage 2 ended with Mayer finishing the battle in the 14th position.

While Mayer did manage to climb up to the 5th position towards the end of the 172nd lap, this did not prove to be eventful. Towards Turn 3, the tire faltered, which ultimately required Sam Mayer to make an emergency pit stop. This contributed further to delays on the track and he ended up finishing at the 9th position. Recounting his performance on the track, Mayer said, “We struggled for sure. We definitely could have been lot better. Kind off the fire off. The good thing is that track kind of stayed the same the whole race so we were able to kind of catch up to a little bit. And that last one was certainly our best. But our 10x Chevy certainly wasn’t good enough to go for the win but already called pretty good strategy make it happen. It just did fall our way”. 

Mayers will be next seen at the Martinsville track where during the 2024 Springs Race he ended up in the second position. Even in the 2022 Spring Race, Mayer finished off at the second position which makes his run on Martinsville worth looking forward to. Often regarded as Dale Jr.’s young prodigy, Mayer too, seemed to be quite confident of his run for the upcoming Martinsville Speedway.

He said, “I feel great. This is where I shine. We did it at the Roval and I think we can do it again. Marty has a really good setup for that track and we were really fast in the Spring too. So I expect to be no different maybe a spot better. I’m fine, I’m good, I’m ready to roll. I know my guys are behind me, I’m certainly behind my guys.” He is currently in a must-win scenario where the inability to make it count will yet again take away hopes of racing in the Top 4 and ultimately take away the Championship Trophy. 

Mayers Vs Allgaier – Who is the JRM’s Favorite?

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With Sam Mayer unable to make it to the top in the Homestead Miami Speedway and Justin Allgaier just placed above him, it seems as though JRM will be having a tough time marking the trophy. Allgaier has always been a favorite and it would not be wrong to say that he is the “Denny Hamlin” of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Although he has been able to make it to the Top 4, 6 times in a total of 8 seasons, he has not been able to win the Cup even once.

Despite the results, he had recently renewed the multi-year contract with JRM. Even the JRM CEO welcomed Allgaier with open arms and mentioned, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Justin, the Brandt family, and everyone at BRANDT Professional Agriculture. BRANDT and Justin have become synonymous with JRM both on and off the track and Rick (Brandt)’s passion for this program remains unwavering”.

He will continue to fancy the No.6 car that he has been driving. On the contrary, Sam Mayers is a seven-time Xfinity Series winner. Allgaier is currently at the top seed while Mayers stands at the 7th position almost at the juncture to be out of the top 4 if he doesn’t manage a win in Martinsville. 

With the point table favoring Allgaier over Mayer, do you think the No.1 Chevy driver will be able to salvage himself for a win?