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.
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.