The NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 came to a surprising end. While Sammy Smith celebrated a strong victory at Talladega Superspeedway, after an exhilarating last-lap pass, the conclusion of the race was overshadowed by the disqualification of fellow driver, Sam Mayer.
Smith, driving the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, clinched his first victory of the 2024 season in an exciting overtime piece of driving. This win, his second career win in 76 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, ensured his advancement to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
Despite Smith’s celebrations, it was the disqualification of Mayer which took the limelight. Mayer’s No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro was found to be too low in the rear during the post-race inspection, leading to his removal from the results.
Adding to this, Chandler Smith, driving the No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota GR Supra, received a penalty for a loose lug nut, leading to a fine for his crew chief. The official standings, confirmed post-inspection, now place Ryan Sieg in the runner-up position, followed by Riley Herbst in third, with Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith completing the top five.
This comes after Mayer signed with the Haas Factory Xfinity Series team for the 2025 season, meaning his time with JR Motorsports and Chevrolet will come to an end this season. Commenting on the new contract at the time, Mayer explained, as quoted by NBC Sports:
“It’s really important to continue development for me as a race car driver and Haas Factory is providing that for me on and off the racetrack. I think that they’re going to do a really good job of setting the table for me to go out and perform and dominate.”
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