WATKINS GLEN, NY (August 10, 2025) — Sam Mayer continued his winning momentum with a strong runner-up drive at Watkins Glen, leading a competitive weekend for Haas Factory Team. Sheldon Creed impressed with steady climbs through the field and key stage points before his race was cut short, while Cole Custer worked to overcome early handling issues in the Cup Series race.
Xfinity Series
41 Sam Mayer
Fresh off his Iowa victory and returning to the site of his 2023 Watkins Glen win, Sam Mayer started Saturday’s race from the fourth position and quickly showed speed in the Audibel Ford. Early on, he reported his biggest challenge was rolling the corners, noting some tire chatter, but his corner speed was comparable to the leader’s. He was fast and running inside the top five for much of the opening stage. With three laps remaining Mayer pitted from fourth to set up a strategic advantage for later. The stop dropped him in the order, and he finished Stage One in 21st.
That strategy paid off at the start of Stage Two, as pit stops by others cycled Mayer back to fourth for the restart. He quickly climbed to third and set his sights on leaders Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, though he needed more drive off the bus stop and carousel to close the gap. Mayer, however, maintained a strong pace and secured a third-place finish in the stage, adding valuable points.
Mayer stayed out between stages to restart third in the final segment, running hard until a caution came at a critical moment – just as his fuel was running low and his tires were heavily worn. He pitted under yellow, restarted 11th, and began working forward despite minor right-front damage from close-quarters racing. With 9 laps to go, Mayer had advanced to fourth before a multi-car crash brought out the red flag that halted the race and shuffled the order again. When racing resumed Mayer took advantage of the final laps, moving up to second to record an impressive runner-up finish.
“Just really proud of everybody at Haas Factory Team. Our Audibel Ford Mustang was really, really good today,” said Mayer. We obviously weren’t good enough to be up front leading the whole thing, but we were making gains on it and were kind of in the picture all day long.”
00 Sheldon Creed
After runner up finishes in each of his last two Watkins Glen races, Sheldon Creed entered Saturday among the favorites. He rolled off 11th and quickly reported feeling “pretty solid” and capable of challenging several cars ahead. Gradually working his way forward, Creed drove the Road Ranger Ford into the top 10 with 10 laps remaining in Stage One and advanced to ninth just a few laps later. Choosing not to pit before the stage break proved to be a smart strategic call, as others did stop, allowing Creed to finish the segment third and earn valuable stage points.
After pitting, Creed restarted Stage Two in 16th but wasted no time gaining positions, advancing to 14th within the opening five laps. He continued to work his way through the field, cracking the top 10 and earning a seventh-place finish in the stage.
With solid stage results to open the race, Creed appeared poised for a strong finish. Stage Three began with Creed restarting sixth and staying out during the break as part of a fuel-saving strategy. As he neared his pit window, Creed was battling Parker Retzlaff when contact sent him into the wall. The heavy damage ended his day prematurely, erasing the momentum from a promising run and leaving him with a 35th place finish despite his speed and execution in the opening stages.
“The car was pretty fast, especially in clean air,” said Creed. “We were just bleeding the new tires, getting ready to pit in the next few laps and, I don’t know, the 4-car, I don’t know. We just lose our patience I guess and want to make dumb decisions, and I got caught up in it.
Cup Series
41 Cole Custer
Cole Custer has won on a road course twice in the Xfinity Series – Portland (2023) and the Chicago Street Race (2023). On Sunday he was aiming to bring that type of Cup Series performance to Watkins Glen Sunday. He started 32nd in the HaasTooling.com Ford and, despite slipping a couple of spots early while battling handling issues, steadily worked his way forward as the opening stage unfolded. He reported tire chatter in several corners and a vibration under braking but managed the challenges well, climbing to 19th by the end of Stage One.
In Stage Two, the No. 41 team went to work diagnosing a steering issue, making several pit stops to ensure the car could finish strong. Evidence of contact on the right-front tire which led to a misaligned toe setting explained much of the early difficulty, but the crew’s persistence kept Custer in the race and was able to log competitive laps. Though the repairs cost track position, the team’s determination ensured the car continued battling during the closing segment.
Restarting 34th for the final stage, Custer focused on maximizing his run and gathering as much data as possible for future road course events. The team continued to fine-tune the car’s balance, addressing the need for more rear grip while allowing Custer to push in clean air. Despite the early setbacks, he brought the car home in 34th, gaining valuable experience and feedback to build on for the next road course challenge.
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway next weekend. Race coverage is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 16, 2025, on USA Network. The Xfinity series returns to action Friday, August 22nd at Daytona International Raceway.
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.
