Sam Mayer enters Las Vegas Motor Speedway fifth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase but faces a sizable deficit after three postseason races. Mayer has 2,157 points, leaving the Haas Factory Team driver 78 points behind teammate Sheldon Creed.
Mayer kept himself from losing significantly more ground at Bristol with a seventh-place finish. While Creed used late fresh tires to win, Mayer remained inside the top 10 and continued a Chase in which consistency has kept him ahead of the second half of the 12-driver field. He sits 37 points behind fourth-place Jesse Love entering Vegas.
The first Las Vegas race did not end well for Mayer despite showing early speed. He led 32 laps but ultimately finished 35th, four laps behind race winner Kyle Larson.
Saturday gives Mayer an opportunity to turn that spring speed into a complete race. With the championship deficit nearing 80 points, top-five finishes and high stage totals are becoming increasingly important.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Sam Mayer seeking a win to put himself into Chase contention
