Sam Mayer sits below Chase bubble after tough start to 2026 season

Sam Mayer's start to the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Series season hasn't been ideal. Through nine races, Mayer sits 14th in the point standings with a 35-point disadvantage to the Chase bubble. Meanwhile, the No.

41 team for Haas Factory Team is in 16th place with a 59-point deficit to the Chase bubble in the owner's standings. Mayer has three straight finishes of 20th or worse, with a best finish of fifth place at Phoenix Raceway. In fact, the Haas Factory Team driver only has one top-5 finish and three top-10 finishes through nine races.

There is plenty of time for Mayer to turn it around, but this can't happen much longer. The Chase bubble is going to be very competitive, and Brent Crews is also catching the top-12 drivers in the point standings. Mayer hasn't been able to finish races, and he needs all the points he can get if he wants to make the Chase.

This isn't typical for the driver of the No. 41 car, but he hopes Kansas Speedway features better luck. More: NASCAR odds for O'Reilly Series race at Kansas in April 2026 This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Sam Mayer sits below Chase bubble after tough start to 2026 season