Sam Mayer — Driver Profile
Car: No. 41 | Team: Haas Factory Team | Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere | Sponsors: Audibel, Andy's Frozen Custard, Char-Broil Status: Full-time | Hometown: Franklin, Wisconsin | Age: 22
2026 Season
Sam Mayer is the most volatile performer in the Haas Factory Team stable in 2026. Through Race 12 he had two poles — more than any other driver in the series — and 94 laps led, but two DNFs dragged his average finish to 20.4. His best result of the season is a third at Texas Motor Speedway on May 2 — his first podium and a long-overdue conversion of the qualifying speed that has made him one of the most consistent front-row threats in the field. His worst is a 35th at Las Vegas.
Post-Watkins Glen (Race 13 of 33): 321 points · P12 — holds the final playoff spot · 0 wins · 2 top-5 · 5 top-10. Mayer crossed into the playoff field by 17 points over William Sawalich (P13, 304) after Watkins Glen — the narrowest cutline margin in the field. Rajah Caruth (P14, 300) and Ryan Sieg (P15, 292) sit close enough to swing in on a single bad weekend for Mayer.
The Cutline
Mayer's playoff hopes for the rest of the regular season are not about chasing wins — they're about not getting passed. With 12 races left before the cutoff, the math says any non-winner currently outside the top 12 needs at least one win (or a long string of top-tens) to displace him. Sawalich already has one win (Rockingham), which means he's in the playoffs on the win automatic if he stays above the threshold of points eligibility; that pulls Caruth into Mayer's most likely points-displacement threat.
The gap between his raw pace and his average finish is the defining storyline of his season. Two poles, 94 laps led, and a Texas podium tell you the No. 41 has genuine front-running capability. The DNFs and incidents tell you the car isn't yet reliable enough to translate that speed into consistent points. Haas Factory Team needs the second half of the regular season to look more like Texas and less like Las Vegas.
Career
Mayer joined Haas Factory Team after building his O'Reilly Auto Parts Series résumé through multiple programs, and has been one of the most naturally fast qualifiers in the series. The Wisconsin native has now demonstrated that the raw speed that made him a frequent pole contender can be channeled into front-running results — he just needs to keep the car together to cash in on the pace he regularly shows.