During his Actions Detrimental podcast this week, Denny Hamlin praised Sam Mayer for his impressive turnaround following a difficult start to the NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The Joe Gibbs Racing star noted Mayer’s progress and maturity as a driver, emphasizing the significant improvement in his performance. These remarks came shortly after Mayer’s commanding victory at Iowa Speedway last Saturday, which secured his spot in the playoffs and ended Connor Zilisch’s winning streak.
Hamlin spoke openly about Mayer’s development over the course of the year.
It seems like Sam’s been doing a really good job lately of getting good finishes,
he said, acknowledging Mayer’s consistency. The Cup Series veteran also pointed out Mayer’s expanding skill set beyond his strong performances on road courses.
He won some road course races with Junior [JR Motorsports] over the last few years. He’s winning on ovals. He’s doing all the good things,
Hamlin added. Co-host Jared Allen emphasized the milestone nature of the win, noting,
First win for Haas [Haas Factory Team]. We talked about first Ford winning the season. But first win for this new Haas team.
Hamlin also shared how he confronted Mayer earlier in the year about questionable decisions that may have hindered his progress.
We had discussions about Sam probably earlier in the year where I think he was maybe doing something dumb,
Hamlin said.
He was talking about how people weren’t looking at him to move up, and we were like, ‘well, that’s why.’
Mayer’s Iowa Win Demonstrates His Strategic and Controlled Comeback
Mayer’s strong performance at Iowa Speedway illustrated the growth that Hamlin described. Despite a pit-road mistake, Mayer’s car remained dominant throughout the race.
I missed my pit box, but the car was so good it didn’t even matter,
Mayer admitted after the event.
We ran up through there — no problem. It was great.
The Wisconsin native took control on the 0.875-mile oval, overtaking Jesse Love after a late restart on Lap 234 to secure the Haas Factory Team’s first-ever victory. Holding the trophy, Mayer expressed the moment’s importance:
First win for Haas Factory Team, that’s awesome.
Hamlin stressed the legitimacy of the win on his podcast, noting Mayer’s pace throughout the weekend.
He was fast all weekend. Wasn’t by accident by any means,
he said, underlining the driver’s preparedness. Mayer pointed to his comfort at Iowa as a key factor, stating,
When you show up to a place you love and enjoy you just run better automatically.
The victory highlighted Mayer’s refined aggression, particularly during restarts. He explained,
I could be aggressive on restarts. Really aggressive gaining that track position. Having new tires at the end, and the short-lap stints, I was able to get through there,
marking a clear shift from earlier in the season when his approach drew criticism from Hamlin.
Mayer’s Success Signals Rising Playoff Contention and Manufacturer Recognition
This win marked Mayer’s second triumph at Iowa Speedway in succession, following last year’s victory with JR Motorsports, and brought his career total to eight wins. It demonstrates Mayer’s increasing threat as a playoff competitor and underscores the attention manufacturers are paying to his progress.
Hamlin expressed confidence in Mayer’s trajectory, concluding,
As long as he keeps doing things like this, certainly he’s doing a lot of good things,
suggesting the driver’s value is rising at a critical moment in his career.
