Mayer Charges to Third, Creed Dominates Early in Xfinity; As Custer Guts Out Gritty Cup Series Finish at EchoPark
Xfinity Series
Sam Mayer
Sam Mayer wasted no time making his presence known at EchoPark Speedway. Starting third in the Audibel Ford, Mayer quickly established himself among the lead pack. He remained within striking distance as a weather-related caution brought out a lengthy red flag at Lap 35. When racing resumed over an hour later, Mayer stayed on track while several frontrunners pitted, allowing him to inherit the lead with six laps remaining in the stage. A multi-car crash behind him froze the field under caution, and Mayer closed out the stage second.
In Stage Two, Mayer pitted for four fresh tires and adjustments aimed at tightening up his slightly loose race car. The move cost him track position, but it was a calculated decision to improve balance for the long run. Mayer drafted his way forward, climbing from mid-pack before another caution slowed the action at Lap 82. He used the yellow to pit again for further adjustments and restarted 16th with five laps to go. Another caution immediately followed, causing the stage to end under yellow. Mayer was credited with a 15th-place finish in the stage but had a better-handling car prepared for the final segment.
Mayer’s Haas Factory Team executed a fuel-only stop between stages, which helped gain valuable track position. He restarted sixth and quickly climbed to third with 67 laps remaining. Showing patience in the draft, Mayer maintained a top-five position. As the laps wound down, he adjusted his line multiple times, searching for momentum and the lane with the most energy. With four to go, Mayer made one final push and crossed the finish line with a strong third place finish.
Sheldon Creed
Sheldon Creed began the weekend with a statement, securing the pole for Friday’s Xfinity Series race – his fourth career pole and first of the season. According to NASCAR Insights statistical information, it was the first pole for a Ford on a drafting track in the series since 2014. At the drop of the green, Creed received a strong push from his Haas Factory Team teammate Sam Mayer, allowing him to keep the Friends of Jaclyn Ford in the lead through the opening laps. After an early caution, Creed chose the outside lane for the restart and briefly battled with Austin Hill before reestablishing control at the front of the field.
A lightning delay on Lap 35 paused the action for over an hour. As the race prepared to resume following the weather delay, Creed made a strategic decision to pit for two left-side tires with just five laps remaining in Stage One. The move dropped him back in the field but was aimed at gaining an advantage later in the race. However, that opportunity never came. Just a few laps later on Lap 42, a multi-car crash erupted in front of him. Creed initially appeared to escape the wreckage, but a car clipped him late, ending what had been a dominant run. He had led 37 laps before being collected in the crash, abruptly halting a night that had started with so much promise. Creed was scored with a 32nd place finish.
Cup Series
Cole Custer
Cole Custer started his night from the seventh position in the HaasTooling.com Ford and looked to make early gains by drafting along the low line with Ryan Blaney. However, handling issues quickly set in, with Custer reporting a lack of grip and significant tightness when running behind other cars. Forced to run the very bottom of the track, he struggled to maintain pace with the leaders. As the stage wore on, the No. 41 car continued to lose ground, and Custer finished Stage One in 29th.
Stage Two brought challenges, as Custer got caught up in a pair of multi-car crashes that left him with front-end damage while running inside the top 15. After the restart, he found himself back in 24th, fighting a car that became increasingly tight on the long run. He suspected the front splitter was coming apart. During a caution on Lap 114, the team discovered significant splitter damage and attempted a fix by taping underneath the nose. The adjustment helped loosen the car slightly, and Custer held steady, running just outside the top 20.
In the final stage, Custer continued a determined efort. He was running 20th when a caution came out around Lap 175, and while the car felt manageable for a few laps, the handling quickly tightened up again, limiting his ability to gain ground. Despite the obstacles, Custer stayed focused and brought home a 19th-place finish.
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Chicago Street Course next weekend. Race coverage for the Xfinity series is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on the CW, and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on TNT for the Cup Series.
About Haas Factory Team
The Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Beginning in 2025, the team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the Xfinity Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Ford Mustangs, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.
