Heading into the season with a new team draws plenty of growing pains. The added element of a team embarking on its first season is an added layer to overcome.
However, for Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed and Haas Factory Team, their first race together in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was a stout start.
While Haas Factory Team may have plenty of key resources and employees from the now defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, the team’s efforts were nothing short of admirable as they rebranded and retooled for 2025.
In Saturday’s Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, Mayer and Creed embodied the definition of teamwork in the waning stages of the United Rentals 300.
Beginning on a restart with 25 laps to go, Mayer’s No. 41 Ford was glued to the rear bumper of Creed’s No. 00.
The race later reached overtime, where the pair was again nose-to-tail on a restart. While they’d be separated before a caution flag ended the race, the two finished a strong second (Mayer) and third (Creed) behind winner Jesse Love.
“Huge props to this team,” Mayer said following the race. “This Audibel Ford Mustang was really, really fast today. I am super proud to be up at the front with these guys, especially with a new team like this. They worked really hard this offseason to make cars as fast as Xfinity Mobile, but so far, so good.
“The Rockingham test was really good, this was really good, so there’s lots of positivity going around, huge shout out to Haas factory that builds these race cars.”
Positivity to kick off the season may be the catalyst of more success for Haas Factory Team as the year progresses.
