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Drama Rises in NASCAR’s Second Division As Only Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Wildcard Sits Pretty Before Martinsville

Published 10/28/2023, 11:19 AM EDT

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Sam Mayer is perhaps the Xfinity Series counterpart of Kyle Larson. And that’s because just like the HMS icon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s prized driver has reserved the first spot in the coveted Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. If there is no new winner, the remaining three spots will be decided solely on points. Needless to say, with just two races remaining in the Xfinity Series schedule, the pressure is on.

However, just a few weeks back, when Mayer clenched his second win of the season at Watkins Glen and wrecked Ty Gibbs in the process, the JGR sensation put up a controversial comment on a radio interview. And as the curtains to a recent episode of “Rubbin’ is Racing” parted, the crew seemed to be too enthusiastic about how Sam Mayer ousted Gibbs’ claims about being inferior for having a lesser number of wins.

NASCAR insider let out a bold claim, uplifting the status of the Xfinity Series

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Long story short, Sam Mayer spun out Ty Gibbs moments after a late restart at the 2.45-mile street circuit and won for the second time in four weeks. However, Mayer had admitted that he shouldn’t have done what he did. Sadly for Ty Gibbs, despite leading 70 laps of the 86-lap race, his day ended with a disappointing 17th-place finish.

Initially, Gibbs wouldn’t let it slide that easily. Although both Mayer and Gibbs realized later that the media was hyping them up to continue the exchange, Gibbs had already made a condescending claim. According to roadsandtrack.com, Gibbs’ comment went like this, “I’m racing on Sundays and he’s still on Saturdays. He’s not got a championship… He’s got more starts than I do and I’ve got more wins than he does.” And with that, Spider, the co-host of the famous podcast exclaimed, “Yeah, he little bro’d him.”

Even though Sam Mayer has eight wins less than Gibbs, he has proven his driving prowess by punching his ticket into the top 4. But the drama got even more intense. The subtle attack from the #54 Toyota pilot had Large wonder if Gibbs is a better trash-talker than Denny Hamlin. Needless to say, when Denny Hamlin won at Bristol and said, “I beat your favorite driver, all of ’em”, the entire community had mixed opinions about it. Nonetheless, that was arguably one of the most entertaining lines that Hamlin has ever said.

Who is the better trash-talker behind Joe Gibbs’ garage, Denny Hamlin or Ty Gibbs? Large said, “I wonder if it’s one of the better lines in a season that gave us Denny Hamlin saying “I just beat your favorite driver.” That might be the best but Ty Gibbs’ one isn’t bad.” It’s then that Spider said it.

“I’m starting to buy into the fact Xfinity is neck and neck with Cup,” he exclaimed. Is the Xfinity Series finally climbing up the ladder and creeping a reputation as vast as the Cup Series? Only time will tell.

Watch this story: Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals Wife’s Shocking Announcement That Marked a Turning Point for Him as a Father

With that, the entire field is ready for the Dead On Tools 250. The race at Martinsville could be a home run for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s soon-to-be Xfinity Series driver and Sam Mayer’s future teammate.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s future prospect wins the pole at Martinsville Speedway

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As NASCAR is moments away from unleashing its fury on the half-mile short track, Sammy Smith shows incredible promise by winning the pole for the 250-lap long race. Although Smith enters Saturday’s contention 49 points below the provisional cutline, his first career series pole speaks of his chance to win.

The JGR driver flaunted a fast lap of 94.515 mph and will be sharing the front row with another JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier. However, the fight is going to be tough. Riley Herbst starts fourth and following him is John Hunter Nemechek, who is 44 points ahead of Allgaier. Every single one of these speedsters will try to bag that priceless win and earn a spot in the championship race.

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According to NBC Sports, Sammy Smith told veteran media personality Kim Coon, “We knew coming into here we had our act together. And we did that. … So just got to keep up with the track and do our jobs.”

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It’s definitely not going to be easy. Do you think the Xfinity Series will display a race, as daredevilish as the Cup Series, and hence, prove Spider right? Do let us know what you think!

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Written by:

Soumyadeep Saha

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Soumyadeep Saha is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Holding a Master's degree in English literature from a top-tier university, he has always had a great affinity for writing. In the past couple of years, he has channeled his love and commitment for stock cars into building a career path in the arena of Motorsports Journalism.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Ramesh