NASCAR has handed down one of its strongest Xfinity Series penalties of the season, suspending Sam Mayer for Saturday’s championship finale at Phoenix Raceway after he deliberately wrecked Jeb Burton following the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway.
The move ends Mayer’s 2025 season one week early and is a perfect example NASCAR’s zero-tolerance stance toward retaliation outside of race conditions.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, addressed the incident Tuesday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, saying the sanctioning body had little choice but to act.
“Having that type of incident after the checkered flag, it’s just not something we’re going to tolerate,” Sawyer said.
Haas Factory Team Accepts the Penalty
Mayer’s team, Haas Factory Team, quickly released a statement signaling it would not appeal the ruling.
“Although we are disappointed with the results, Haas Factory Team will not appeal the penalty NASCAR issued to Sam Mayer and the No. 41 team following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway,” the team said. “We remain focused on finishing the season out strong at Phoenix Raceway and look forward to contending for a win with Ryan Sieg at the wheel.”
Ryan Sieg will take over the No. 41 Chevrolet in Mayer’s absence, while his brother, Kyle Sieg, will slide into Ryan’s usual No. 39 entry for the season finale.
The swap allows Haas Factory Team to remain fully staffed for Phoenix while honoring its commitment to finish the year on track.
The clash between Mayer and Burton was the latest chapter in a growing feud that began weeks earlier.
Mayer was already irritated with Burton over contact at Talladega that sparked a multi-car crash, and tensions carried into Martinsville.
After the race, Mayer explained his side — and didn’t hold back.
“It’s a principle thing,” Mayer said. “(Burton) is the worst person to race around in the entire garage. He has a reputation of being over his head every single week and this was a prime example of it. … Thank God I have enough car control where I can hold on to it and not wreck. He has no respect for someone racing for something that’s bigger than he is.”
Burton, meanwhile, saw the situation entirely differently.
“He destroyed our car and wrecked us,” Burton said post-race. “Hopefully NASCAR does something because he literally right-reared me into the outside wall. … The way he acts, he’s a punk. I think everybody knows that.”
The suspension sends a firm message as NASCAR heads into championship weekend: on-track aggression may be part of the sport, but using your vehicle as a weapon will carry many consequences.
Mayer, winner at Iowa earlier this season and a playoff contender before elimination earlier in the Round of 8, now ends his season on the sidelines.
For Haas Factory Team, it’s an abrupt and disappointing close to a promising year for a promising driver, and one they hope to move past quickly.
In the same penalty report, NASCAR also announced two-race suspensions for De’Quan Hampton and Marquill Osborne, pit crew members for Cody Ware’s Cup Series team, after a tire came off during Sunday’s race.
Both will miss this weekend’s finale at Phoenix and next year’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium before returning for the 2026 Daytona 500.
As the Xfinity Series field heads to Phoenix to crown its next champion, one message is abundantly clear: NASCAR wants to end the season with clean racing, and no more payback.
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