Does Chandler Smith Have a Long-Term Future With Ford?
What’s Happening? Despite a solid career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series, Chandler Smith has not had a chance…
Sam Mayer is in his fourth full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series, and fans are wondering what his next step will be. Let’s look at Mayer’s past and consider his long-term future options.
Sam Mayer made headlines for all the wrong reasons this past weekend after giving Kyle Larson a rather aggressive push during the NASCAR Xfinity Series overtime restart.
This incident is a minor sore spot on the 22-year-old’s otherwise stellar season. While he hasn’t won any races, his No. 41 machine has looked fast through six races. In his first year with the newly dubbed Haas Factory Team, Mayer currently sits second in points behind Homestead race winner Justin Allgaier.
Mayer made the jump after three seasons at JR Motorsports and Chevrolet. Mayer joined JRM part-time in 2021, then full-time in 2022. After a quiet rookie campaign, he won seven races in 2023 and 2024, averaging a 13.2 finish and 3rd in points in 2023.
However, after 2024, with young talent like Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch looming, Mayer jumped ship to the Ford Camp.
The circumstances surrounding his departure from Chevrolet are relatively unknown. It could be related to changes in circumstances at JRM. It could also be related to the log jam for Chevrolet development drivers trying to get to the Cup Series level.
For reference, in the 2024-2025 offseason, only one Chevrolet driver, Shane Van Gisbergen, was called up for his rookie season. Now, Mayer may have found himself in a great spot.
While Mayer does not have a direct line to the Cup, he is with Ford’s most prominent Xfinity Series team; in fact, he is with the only Ford Xfinity Series team to win a race in 2024. That’s not to say that Mayer doesn’t have competition.
Ford does have talent, such as his HFT teammate Sheldon Creed and the recently demoted Harrison Burton at AM Racing. Beyond the Xfinity Series, Front Row Motorsports has two talented drivers in Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith.
Ford may not be looking for a new Cup Series driver in 2025. If Mayer can prove himself in the next season or seasons, he could be primed to take over for a big name in Ford camp.
What’s Happening? Despite a solid career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series, Chandler Smith has not had a chance…
If Mayer were to look at a promotion to the Cup Series in the coming seasons, something he was rumored to do this past offseason, the Cup Series currently has six Ford teams.
Some, like Rick Ware Racing, seem unlikely due to family-related matters. Another single-car team, the Wood Brothers, barring a drastic turn of events, seem to have found their long-term option. Likewise, an easy option, like Haas Factory Team, already has a driver in Cole Custer. Custer is, of course, the son of team president Joe Custer.
So if we rule these out, that leaves the multi-car operations like Front Row Motorsports, RFK Racing, and Team Penske.
What’s Happening? Like any other sport, Free Agency is a key part of NASCAR. However, driver-free agency is not covered like…
When it comes to these three teams, age and skill will absolutely factor into driver changes.
FRM would traditionally seem like a landing spot for Mayer. However, the team looks focused on the future. For reference, regarding age, FRM looks to be locked in for the long term with Todd Gilliland, as well as the recently signed Noah Gragson and Zane Smith.
However, Penske and RFK both have options as Joey Logano, coming off a title year, sits at 35, alongside the statistically weak link at Penske, Austin Cindric, who will likely remain in the car.
However, in the long term, RFK Racing, which is confirmed to have ties to HFT, has the most interesting lineup. It consists of three drivers, all over 30, led by 41-year-old driver/owner Brad Keselowski. As RFK’s roster ages, some fans are wondering who will fill in the blanks for the team.
The key takeaway here is while Mayer is in a good spot, it could be some time before he gets his shot at the next level. However, that spot could likely open at a top team, meaning Mayer has time to become the driver many fans thought he was during his days in ARCA.
What’s Happening? Tuesday, a Crew Chief at the Haas Factory Team confirmed the team will be a close partner with RFK…
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