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Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently discussed Sam Mayer's upcoming move from JR Motorsports to Haas for the 2025 season. Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged Mayer's growth but also noted the need for further development.
Haas Factory Team announced last week a new driving pair for the NASCAR Xfinity team in 2025. Sam Mayer will race the No. 41 Ford Mustang with Sheldon Creed for the team next season. Mayer moved up to the Xfinity Series with Chevrolet's support and is a two-time ARCA East champion. He currently drives the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports.
During a recent live on YouTube, Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised Mayer's progress but expressed concerns about his readiness.
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“He’s got a lot of maturing still yet to do and I mean that in a good way,” he stated ( 07:38).
“I think there is a lot of upside in Sam Mayer. He can win races but he still has some things to clean up. You know and I think once you know he’s winning a couple races a year as he is and I think when he does polish and clean up and get better he’ll double that win total and win more regularly,” he added (07:53).
Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted that Mayer has made significant progress but still has room to mature. Regarding Mayer’s move to a new team, Earnhardt Jr. believes it will benefit his development.
“There’s a lot more in Sam. We’ve kind of done this for so many years that we’re all out of ideas on how to continue that progression right and it’s probably better for him to go to a new pasture,” he said (8:20).
"I saw something in him. I was like, man you know, he might be better" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Mayer
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sees potential in Sam Mayer and believes he’s better than people often think.
Earnhardt Jr. also talked about the 21-year-old NASCAR Xfinity driver’s development and prospects during the live. He added that Mayer was very young and uncertain about his future and needs to grow personally to become the driver he wants to be.
"I saw something in him. I was like, man you know, he might be better than a lot of people give him credit for. He was really, really young and you know just so out of touch with, you know, where he wanted to go and where he wanted to be. He had a long way to go outside the race car to become this race car driver he wants to be and he's made a lot of progress and you know everywhere he went," Earnhardt Jr. said (10:11).
Although he’s made progress, Earnhardt Jr. feels Mayer has reached a point where further improvement is limited and moving to a new team could help him to grow further. He also assured that he will always support Mayer's success wherever his career takes him.
