Mayer Goes Back-To-Back at Iowa to Earn Eighth NXS Win of Career
NEWTON, IA (Aug. 3, 2025) – Sam Mayer delivered a milestone victory for the Haas Factory Team (HFT) on Saturday afternoon at Iowa Speedway, capturing the organization’s first-ever win and securing his spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. Mayer took control of the race in the closing laps, seizing the lead from Jesse Love on a late restart and holding firm over the final 28 laps. The win marked the eighth of Mayer’s Xfinity Series career and his first of the 2025 season.
“This one is everything right here. This one here is for all the guys at Audibel. This is one of the most special ones I have. These guys love me to death, and I love them to death,” Mayer said. “We are just some good ole boys trying to go racing. This one feels great. Big shoutout to the guys back at the shop and the guys on pit road. This is awesome. I am so excited about this one.”
Xfinity Series
41 Sam Mayer
Defending Iowa Xfinity Series winner Sam Mayer began his defense with a strong top-five qualifying effort in the No. 41 Audibel Ford. After a caution just two laps in, Mayer made the most of the lap six restart, jumping to third by passing Carson Hocevar and William Sawalich. He held steady through the long green-flag run that followed, but eventually gave up one spot to Ross Chastain late in the stage, finishing fourth and collecting seven stage points.
A miscue at the end of Stage One saw Mayer overshoot his pit box, dropping him to 17th to start Stage Two. Undeterred, he quickly went on the attack, climbing back into the top 10 by lap 80. Following a strong restart after a mid-stage caution, Mayer showcased his racecraft and speed, picking off competitors with calculated moves to reclaim fourth place by the end of the stage—positioning himself well for a final-stage push.
“I tried to botch it on pit road but we didn’t,” Mayer said. “I simply knew this car could easily come back through the field no problem.”
Mayer began the final stage in fourth but quickly started to slip back as he battled a loose-handling No. 41 Audibel Ford. A series of cautions helped bunch up the field, giving Mayer opportunities to regain lost ground. By lap 185, he had climbed back into the top five after making key passes on Jesse Love and Sawalich. Still nearly seven seconds behind the leader, a timely caution with 45 laps to go allowed crew chief Jason Trinchere to bring Mayer to pit road for four fresh tires—setting the stage for a final charge.
Restarting on the front row with 38 laps remaining, Mayer capitalized on yet another strong launch, clearing Love just before the final caution flew with 31 to go. With the lead in hand, Mayer controlled the restart and never looked back, pulling away from Love and Harrison Burton to secure his second consecutive Iowa victory, his first win of the season, and the eighth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career.
00 Sheldon Creed
Despite a solid 14th-place qualifying effort, Sheldon Creed’s No. 00 Road Ranger Ford underwent several adjustments following the session. The early returns were promising, as Creed hovered just outside the top 10 in the opening laps. However, as the green-flag run stretched on, his car began to tighten up through the corners, limiting his ability to gain ground. The issues ultimately cost him a few positions, and he settled for a 13th-place finish at the end of Stage One.
Creed gained three spots during the Stage One break thanks to quick work by his pit crew, allowing him to restart 10th for Stage Two. Building on that momentum, Creed continued his climb through the field, breaking into the top five after a strong move past Hocevar just before a caution on lap 90. He held his ground on the ensuing restart and managed the car well despite persistent tightness on the long run, ultimately finishing sixth in Stage Two and adding five stage points to his total.
During the final stage, Creed wrestled with a loose-handling No. 00 Road Ranger Ford but worked with his team to make key adjustments over two pit stops. While he faded slightly during the longer green-flag run, the team dialed in the car for the short run to the finish. That setup paid off late, as Creed capitalized on a strong final restart to gain three spots and cross the line in seventh—marking his 13th top-10 finish of the season.
“I’m proud of the effort these guys gave today to bring me a fast Road Ranger Ford,” Creed said. “Obviously there’s some work to do in the couple of weeks, but I’m confident we’ll get it done here soon.”
Cup Series
41 Cole Custer
Cole Custer qualified 19th in the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford at Iowa Speedway and spent the opening 30 laps battling with Shane van Gisbergen. Despite showing early speed, a loose-handling car—especially through the center and off the corners—limited his ability to maintain pace. With no cautions in Stage One, Custer gradually dropped to 22nd by the end of the 70-lap run.
He pitted for four tires and fuel under the stage break, but the car remained loose on the restart, costing him track position. A break came on lap 170 with the race’s first natural caution, which trapped many cars a lap down and allowed Custer to gain significant ground, briefly cracking the top 10. However, a late pit stop during the caution shuffled him back, ending Stage Two in 27th.
In the final stage, Custer began climbing through the field as others pitted during a string of cautions. He reached as high as 17th by lap 266, but a late pit stop for fresh tires before the final green-flag run dropped him back once again, leading to a 26th-place finish.
“It was a hard-fought day. I felt like the track changed a lot after practice so it was hard keeping up with it,” Custer said. “By the end of it I wish we restarted the whole race because I feel like we would’ve been able to keep gaining spots.”
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Watkins Glen International next weekend. Race coverage for the Xfinity Series is set for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday on the CW, and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network 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.
