Denny Hamlin praised Sam Mayer’s impressive turnaround during an episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast this week, highlighting the Xfinity Series driver’s growth after earlier mistakes in the season. Hamlin’s commendation came shortly after Mayer’s commanding victory at Iowa Speedway last Saturday, which not only secured Mayer’s spot in the playoffs but also ended Connor Zilisch’s streak of three consecutive wins.
Hamlin Highlights Mayer’s Intentional Progress and Maturity
<pHamlin discussed Mayer’s development over the course of the season with an honest and detailed perspective. “It seems like Sam’s been doing a really good job lately of getting good finishes,” Hamlin observed, pointing to Mayer’s expanding skillset beyond his previous success on road courses.
He elaborated on this progress by saying,
“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’s podcast co-host Jared Allen also noted the significance of Mayer’s recent win, stating,
“First win for Haas [Haas Factory Team]. We talked about first Ford winning the season. But first win for this new Haas team.”
Earlier in the year, Hamlin confronted Mayer about his own self-inflicted setbacks, addressing the driver’s admitted mistakes.
“We had discussions about Sam probably earlier in the year where I think he was maybe doing something dumb,”
Hamlin said candidly.
“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 a Thoughtful and Strategic Revival
Mayer’s performance at Iowa Speedway provided evidence that his transformation was genuine. Despite missing his pit box during a critical stop, Mayer was able to leverage the strength of his car to maintain control.
“I missed my pit box, but the car was so good it didn’t even matter,”
he admitted after the race.
“We ran up through there — no problem. It was great.”
His No. 41 Ford overtook Jesse Love following a restart on Lap 234, marking the first victory in the history of the Haas Factory Team. Mayer celebrated the accomplishment, declaring,
“First win for Haas Factory Team, that’s awesome.”
Hamlin reinforced the authenticity of Mayer’s achievement, emphasizing the driver’s consistent speed throughout the weekend.
“He was fast all weekend. Wasn’t by accident by any means,”
Hamlin said. Mayer credited his comfort with the track’s layout for his strong showing, stating,
“When you show up to a place you love and enjoy you just run better automatically.”
Controlled Aggression and Consistency Mark Mayer’s Return to Form
The race also highlighted Mayer’s improved balance of aggression and control during critical moments.
“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,”
Mayer explained. This composure contrasts sharply with the errors that hampered his earlier season.
Mayer’s ongoing resurgence has been marked by back-to-back wins at Iowa, following his previous success with JR Motorsports last year. With his eighth career victory, Mayer has positioned himself as a serious contender heading into the playoffs, while also drawing attention from manufacturers. Hamlin underscored this point by saying,
“As long as he keeps doing things like this, certainly he’s doing a lot of good things,”
signaling a rising trajectory for Mayer at a critical moment in his career.