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In a recent interview with Speed Sport, Xfinity Series driver Sam Mayer reflected on his breakthrough 2023 season.
Although he couldn't secure a win, Mayer's Xfinity Series debut season in 2022 was impressive. With 2231 points, he secured a respectable seventh-place finish in the standings.
Thus, when he entered 2023, Mayer was riding a wave of confidence. Aiming to clinch his first NASCAR victory, the 20-year-old experienced an ideal start to the season, securing over 10 top-10 finishes.
Finally, the much-awaited moment arrived for Sam Mayer at the Road America track in his home state of Wisconsin. The JR Motorsports driver secured a victory in the Henry 180 race ahead of Parker Kligerman and Austin Hill.
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Recalling the euphoria of that moment, Mayer stated:
"Victory lane was electric. There was probably 300-400 people in victory lane just crowding around chanting my name and screaming and shouting.
"It was really cool to be able to watch that. Something like that will never happen again. unless I win a championship or a Cup championship one day. But to have that big of a crowd come to my first win was pretty unreal."
Sam Mayer on former Cup Series driver's advice
Following his qualification to the Championship 4 of the Xfinity Series, Sam Mayer reached out to former teammate and Cup Series driver Noah Gragson, who shared insights about his own Championship 4 experience. Mayer revealed Gragson's perspective, saying:
"I talked to Noah, and he said to me that he didn't enjoy his first Championship 4 experience enough, and he feels like he missed out on a lot of things and a lot of even learning opportunities that weekend because he was so focused on performing."
Learning from Gragson, Sam Mayer approached the Championship 4 with a balanced mindset. He said:
"I think after talking to him and a lot of other people about it, I just went in there and said, 'You know what, I earned my spot here. I did my keep for the year. We did all our jobs to get here, and that's all you can do. Now you just got to go enjoy the experience. Enjoy the fact that you get a guaranteed top four at the end of the year.'"
He concluded:
"It's another race at the end of the day, so just enjoy all the accolades that come with it because it only happens once for your first time."
Sam Mayer missed out on the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship as he finished fifth in the season finale in Phoenix. Regardless, a competitive outing in just his second season speaks volumes about his potential.
