Sam Mayer held his nerve and capitalized on a late-race opportunity to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway. The victory marked the first-ever win for Haas Factory Team in the series, Ford’s first of the 2025 season, and Mayer’s second consecutive triumph at the 0.875-mile track.
Key Highlights
Sam Mayer wins at Iowa Speedway, first victory for Haas Factory Team and Ford in 2025 Xfinity season.
Mayer passes Jesse Love with 28 laps remaining after Love slipped on oil.
Connor Zilisch’s three-race winning streak ends with a fourth-place finish.
Ninth and final caution freezes the field on the last lap, securing Mayer’s win.
Ross Chastain and Harrison Burton round out the top-five finishers.
Sam Mayer Seizes Control After Late Restart
Saturday’s race came down to a pivotal moment with 28 laps to go. Oil in the racing groove caused Jesse Love, who had dominated much of the day from pole, to slip up the track. Mayer pounced, taking the lead in his No. 41 Haas Factory Ford and never looking back. Despite multiple cautions in the closing laps—including a spin by Garrett Smithley on the white-flag lap—Mayer maintained his advantage to claim victory by a 3.289-second margin over Love.
“This one’s everything right here,” Mayer said post-race. “First win for Haas Factory Team — that’s awesome. This car was fast all day long. I tried to botch it on pit road, but we didn’t. I can’t believe it. This is one of the most special wins I have. These guys, they love me to death, I love them to death, and we’re just some good ol’ boys trying to go racing.”
The win marked Mayer’s eighth career Xfinity victory and his second straight at Iowa after triumphing last season with JR Motorsports.
Pit Road Mishap Nearly Derails Mayer’s Race
While Mayer ultimately delivered Ford its first Xfinity win of 2025, the race was far from flawless for the 21-year-old driver. A misjudged entry into his pit stall during Stage 1 dropped him from fourth to 16th on the restart, forcing him to claw his way back through the field. Iowa’s pit road layout—angled and curved near the exit—has historically caused headaches for drivers, and Mayer nearly paid the price.
“I missed my pit box, but the car was so good it didn’t even matter,” Mayer explained. “We ran up through there — no problem. It was great.”
From that point onward, Mayer steadily worked his way back to the front, regaining fourth by the end of Stage 2. The car’s speed, combined with Mayer’s aggressive yet calculated moves, set him up perfectly for the decisive late-race restart.
Full Race Results and Notable Performances
Jesse Love, who led significant portions of the race, had to settle for second after losing the top spot to Mayer in the closing laps. Ross Chastain finished third as the highest-placing Cup Series regular in the field, while Connor Zilisch came home fourth, ending his three-race winning streak. Harrison Burton rounded out the top five.
Other notable performances included Carson Hocevar in sixth, Sheldon Creed in seventh, and Ryan Sieg finishing eighth with another consistent run for his underdog operation. Carson Kvapil and Christian Eckes completed the top 10.
Below is the full finishing order for the 2025 HyVee Perks 250:
| Car | Driver | |
| 41 | Sam Mayer | |
| 2 | Jesse Love | |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | |
| 88 | Connor Zilisch | |
| 25 | Harrison Burton | |
| 11 | Carson Hocevar | |
| 00 | Sheldon Creed | |
| 39 | Ryan Sieg | |
| 1 | Carson Kvapil | |
| 16 | Christian Eckes | |
| 18 | William Sawalich | |
| 19 | Justin Bonsignore | |
| 4 | Parker Retzlaff | |
| 21 | Austin Dillon | |
| 8 | Sammy Smith | |
| 7 | Justin Allgaier | |
| 54 | Taylor Gray | |
| 28 | Kyle Sieg | |
| 48 | Nick Sanchez | |
| 44 | Brennan Poole | |
| 91 | Josh Bilicki | |
| 51 | Jeremy Clements | |
| 20 | Brandon Jones | |
| 17 | Corey Day | |
| 71 | Ryan Ellis | |
| 42 | Anthony Alfredo | |
| 53 | Joey Gase | |
| 31 | Blaine Perkins | |
| 27 | Jeb Burton | |
| 07 | Patrick Emerling | |
| 26 | Dean Thompson | |
| 70 | Thomas Annunziata | |
| 14 | Garrett Smithley | |
| 35 | Tyler Tomassi | |
| 99 | Matt DiBenedetto | |
| 10 | Daniel Dye | |
| 45 | Mason Massey | |
| 74 | Dawson Cram | |
Rookie phenom remained a factor all day, continuing to build on what has been one of the most impressive debut seasons in recent memory.
News in Brief: 2025 Full HyVee Perks 250 Results
Sam Mayer’s victory at Iowa not only secured Haas Factory Team its first NASCAR Xfinity Series win but also reaffirmed Mayer’s growing reputation as one of the series’ top young talents. His ability to overcome adversity on pit road, seize late-race opportunities, and hold off a strong field demonstrates championship-caliber skill. With this win, Mayer broke Ford’s season-long drought and proved that the Haas Factory program is more than capable of contending for trophies.
As the Xfinity Series season pushes deeper into the summer stretch, Iowa’s showdown may prove pivotal in shaping the playoff picture. Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch, and other contenders will look to rebound, but for now, it’s Mayer and Haas Factory Team celebrating a historic breakthrough on the short oval.
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