NASCAR
Sam Mayer Inches Ahead of Ryan Sieg in Texas Photo Finish
FORT WORTH, Texas – Saturday delivered Texas-sized drama with last lap fireworks leading to an all-time classic finish. Following a year filled with few highs and many low points, Sam Mayer ends up in victory lane following a standoff with Ryan Sieg. One of NASCAR’s closest finishes ever, Saturday proved why the Xfinity Series is elite stock car racing entertainment.
After starting sixth, Justin Allgaier was on the move early. The No. 7 Chevrolet took command midway through Stage 1, picking up this win. Similar to last year, Allgaier would go on to a stage sweeping day. Allgaier appeared to be in his own zip code with laps winding down in Stage 3, until he made contact with lapped car Leland Honeyman Jr.
On pit road the No. 7 lost control of the race, coming out third. His JR Motorsports teammates of Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer each spent time out front, until the No. 1 was passed by Ryan Sieg. The veteran underdog willed his way to the lead with 17 laps left.
The miracle first career win was within eyesight for Sieg, until the last lap. A faster Mayer closed in and cleared Sieg into turn three. The 1 got insanely loose though, opening up a run for the 39 back to the inside off of turn four. Both leaders made slight contact coming to the checkers. Sieg ultimately lost out by a mere inch or two at the line.
0.002 seconds is the second closest margin of victory in Xfinity Series history, and erases a season of struggles for Mayer.
“That’s absolutely unreal,” Mayer said trying to relive the last lap. “This Carolina Carport Chevrolet was certainly as fast as Xfinity internet, but this team man. The amount of adversity we’ve had to fight this entire year so far (was a lot). To come to a mile-and-a-half that I want to say I’m good at, it took a lot. It took every ounce of me to do that today.”
“So proud of my team, Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) on top of the box, Kevin (Hamlin, spotter) on top of the roof. He might have won that race. He told me the bottom of (turns) three and four were better. So props to him.”
Mayer also pockets the $100,000 Dash4Cash bonus this week with the win. He will chase another big check next week alongside Sieg, Justin Allgaier, and AJ Allmendinger. The top-five was rounded out by Cole Custer. Austin Hill, Ryan Truex, Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, and Anthony Alfredo were the rest of the top-10.
Thanks to his fifth career win and first this year, Mayer is now the third man locked into the 2024 Xfinity Series Playoffs. The JR Motorsports No. 1 team will try and repeat a Championship 4 run this fall.
The Xfinity Series returns to the track next week from Talladega Superspeedway. The Ag-Pro 300 is another prime chance at an upset winner, with a Playoff berth up for grabs. The green flag will fly Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Written by Peter Stratta
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