Can you escape the shadows of the past? With championship-caliber drivers and a strong presence in the Cup and Xfinity Series, Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) was a dominant force in NASCAR for many years. However, as the Tony Stewart co-owned program came to an end in 2024, its legacy left behind more than just a vacant garage; it also left behind lingering uncertainties, challenges, and unresolved issues regarding the future of those taking its place.
The rebranded Xfinity business, Haas Factory Team (HFT), emerged from SHR’s ashes. And right in the middle of it? Sam Mayer, a driver whose skill at JR Motorsports (JRM) was indisputable, is now carrying the responsibility of a new beginning with a team that is committed to putting its troubled past behind it. But when the past hangs over you, it’s difficult to turn the page. Can Mayer and HFT genuinely move past SHR’s hardships and reshape their history? So far, the results look promising.
Exorcising the ghosts: Sam Mayer and HFT’s Reinvention
Stewart-Haas’s exit from the Xfinity Series was a complete reorganization, not merely a name change. Despite inheriting SHR’s riches, the Haas Factory Team had to overcome the shortcomings that dogged SHR’s last years. SHR was once a dominant force, winning multiple championships in the 2000s and 2010s, but inconsistent performance, erratic sponsorship, and disappointing outcomes marred its latter seasons. Haas Factory team roped in Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer from two different manufacturers, Toyota and Chevrolet, respectively, so fans speculated it would take some time for them to adjust to driving a Ford.
However, for Sam Mayer, this change was an opportunity to prove himself once more. He left the safety of JR Motorsports and Chevrolet, where he had laid his roots, to join a team that was still striving to make a name for itself in the post-SHR era. Many people questioned Mayer’s brave decision to switch to the No. 41 Ford Mustang since it was a risky move. However, the 21-year-old accepted it wholeheartedly.
In his five races for HFT so far, Mayer has notched up three top-5 finishes, building off his tremendous run with JRM in 2024, where he won 3 races and notched up a ninth-place finish in the driver’s standings. In an interview following his run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with HFT, Mayer reflected on his move, “Yeah, I’m really pleased with what we’ve been doing. Usually, when you come to a new team—a new manufacturer for me… You expect growing pains. And if that’s the case for us, I feel like we’re doing pretty good.”
Sam Mayer has three top-5s in his first five starts with Haas Factory Team. How he assesses the start: pic.twitter.com/pUApF1dril
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 15, 2025
Mayer’s early 2025 season performance has demonstrated resiliency and adaptation despite the anticipated transitional challenges. His runner-up finish at Daytona demonstrated the team’s ability to contend with Xfinity’s best. More importantly, though, it was a pivotal point in their separation from SHR’s ghosts. For Mayer, the decision to HFT was a philosophical one as much as a professional one. Under Joe Custer’s direction, HFT sought to create something different from SHR’s history by emphasizing younger, more aggressive personnel and improving the framework SHR had established. But Mayer’s change hasn’t been without its difficulties.
Despite his speed, he struggled with consistency, which brought to mind SHR’s last years, when promising moments were frequently marred by poor execution. Joe Custer acknowledged this but remained confident in Mayer’s upside, “Sam is one of the preeminent raw talents… I don‘t want to say we need to corral him, but we need to give him more confidence again that if something goes wrong or whatever, the car is there, the pit crew is there, the team is behind him. I‘m looking for him to take what he‘s done and deliver in our stuff.”
The start of 2025 has breathed optimism. However, the growing pains that persist were brought to light by a disheartening 36th place finish for Mayer following Daytona, at Atlanta, after getting involved in a wreck that ended his race after 141 laps. Mayer demonstrated that HFT had the speed to compete, bouncing back with another podium finish, securing a 3rd place at the Circuit of The Americas. He followed that up with a 7th-place finish at Phoenix and improved at Vegas with yet another top-5. Mayer reflected on the Vegas race, saying, “We were lacking a little bit of speed at the end of each run to keep up with those guys at the front, but we did a really good job of making adjustments, keeping up with the race, and salvaging a top five out of it.”
HFT’s greatest problem is not only to improve results but also to demonstrate that they are more than just SHR. To strengthen their base rather than overextend their skills, the team has reduced their Cup focus and directed more resources toward Xfinity.
Mayer is relishing the new environment
Sam Mayer, for his part, is embracing the team’s new culture: “I can just walk into the shop and be whoever I want to be. It’s a great feeling to walk in there and feel like I’m the [expletive].” Confidence is essential for a team trying to overcome its history. Mayer’s aggressive attitude reflects the kind of unrestrained, competitive team that HFT aims to create—one that is focused on winning rather than surviving. But it takes time to turn the page. Mayer’s early HFT scores point to a work in progress rather than an immediate breakout. However, the tendency has changed; whereas SHR previously showed a declining trend, HFT appears to be creating something sustainable.
Although it is evident after five weeks of play that the Haas Factory Team is no longer SHR, the ghosts are still around. Sheldon Creed has struggled following a 3rd place finish at Daytona. He posted finishes of 14, 12, 36 and 10 at the next four tracks, highlighting the gap that HFT has to cover in ensuring both their drivers remain competitive.
It is indisputable that Sam Mayer has shown promise, and the foundation is stronger than what SHR left behind. However, NASCAR is a lengthy season, and a team’s identity is largely determined by its consistency. Mayer agreed that going to Ford and the Haas Factory Team was a necessary step to push himself outside his comfort zone and prepare for a potential Cup Series opportunity. “The Xfinity Series is a really great place to learn and grow and get yourself ready for the NASCAR Cup Series. Cup is my ultimate goal, and to really push myself to become the kind of driver who can succeed in the Cup, I needed to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and hone my race skills so that when that Cup moment comes, I’m ready,” Sam Mayer said.
The change is also consistent with HFT’s heightened attention to its Xfinity Series program, especially in the wake of Stewart-Haas Racing’s demise. Haas Factory Team President Joe Custer reaffirmed the dedication to quality by saying, “We’ve developed a strong and consistent Xfinity Series program at Stewart-Haas that wins races and championships. In 2025, that program will operate as Haas Factory Team. The name is changing, but our commitment to winning remains the same”.
HFT made a calculated decision by investing in young drivers like Mayer and Sheldon Creed to keep creating a competitive pipeline for Cup Series success in the future. What are your expectations from HFT for 2025? Let us know in the comments!
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