Sam Mayer suspended for one race for revenge against Burton

The rivalry between Sam Mayer and Jeb Burton escalated into a one-race suspension. NASCAR announced this Tuesday that Mayer will not compete in the Xfinity Series championship finale this Saturday at Phoenix Raceway after he intentionally crashed into Burton and sent him into the wall once the race at Martinsville Speedway had concluded.

The two drivers had been involved in several on-track incidents during last Sunday's race. The tension culminated when Mayer, who had already been eliminated from the Championship 4 after finishing seventh, used the cool-down lap to retaliate against the driver for Jordan Anderson Racing.

Code of Conduct Violates Rule 4.4.B

NASCAR penalized Mayer under Section 4.4.B of the Member Code of Conduct for the post-race incident. Elton Sawyer, Senior Vice President of Competition, had warned on Tuesday morning that "when these incidents happen after the checkered flag, it's not something we're going to tolerate."

The investigation process included individual interviews with both drivers and a thorough video review. Eric Peterson, the Xfinity Series director, led the analysis alongside the technical team at the NASCAR R&D Center.

"We will talk to both drivers, Sam and Jeb, to get their side of the story. We will review all the replays, along with the entire race, to see what happened from the beginning," Sawyer explained on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Photo By Nascar Media

Ryan Sieg in the No. 41 Ford for Phoenix

The Haas Factory Team confirmed it will not appeal the penalty and announced Ryan Sieg as the replacement driver. "While we are disappointed with the outcome, we will not appeal the penalty that NASCAR levied on Sam Mayer and the No. 41 team," the team stated on social media.

The decision ends Mayer's season prematurely; he had secured one victory in 2025 but was eliminated from the final championship battle. His absence at Phoenix means a loss of experience for a team that was looking to end the year with a strong performance.

Intentional crashes after the race or under a caution flag have traditionally resulted in one-week suspensions in NASCAR. Mayer will be eligible to return to competition in February 2026 with the start of the new season at Daytona International Speedway.