WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 14: Sam Mayer, driver of the #1 10X Health Chevrolet, greets fans as he takes the stage during driver introductions prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on September 14, 2024 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FRANKLIN, Wisconsin – The NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs are here and Franklin native Sam Mayer, the 21-year-old who races for JR Motorsports, is no stranger to the playoffs.
Mayer is back in the playoff race for the third straight year, with the first race this Saturday at Kansas Speedway.
“The playoffs, the intensity level is way higher than usual,” said JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer. “The regular season is great. We’ve had a really good year so far, winning two games, but now that the playoffs are here, you have to win because that’s the most important thing you can do to secure a spot in the next round.”
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FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “How do you handle the first weekend of the playoffs? Is it a mindset that says this is a race to win and how do you handle the pressure? Or do you tell yourself it’s just another race, I have to do what I can to win?”
“I think for us, right now, it’s just going to be another race,” Mayer said. “We’ve done all the preparation before this, there’s no need to stress, we’ve done our job so far. Now we just have to go out there and execute and do our best on the track because ultimately if you try to do too much you’re going to get yourself in trouble, so you have to take it easy and do what you have to do at the end of the day.”
This season, Mayer will start as the No. 7 seed.
Last year he made the championship race and was only able to do so thanks to a big win at the Charlotte Roval that helped him avoid elimination.
“It was Round 12,” Mayer said. “We had two horrible races before that and we were in a must-win situation that week, and we went out there and dominated. We got the pole early in the day, led most of the laps and ended up winning the race. It was one of the coolest experiences because it gave me so much confidence because we went out there and just dominated. It wasn’t even close and it’s a fun day because you go out there, you do what you have to do, you do the job and it ended up paying off in the long run because we were able to qualify for the Championship 4.”
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FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “How much does having already competed in the Championship 4 and having been in the championship race help you as a young driver as you approach another playoff season?”
“It’s special because you’re kind of defending what you did last year because you want to prove it,” Mayer said. “To get to Field 4, I set the bar really, really high, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do because I feel better as a race driver and my team is definitely a lot better than last year, so I think we can be a big threat to win the championship at the end of the day.”
The playoffs begin Saturday at Kansas Speedway.
