Sam Mayer returns to JR Motorsports in 2027, and he is going back to a familiar seat. The team announced Tuesday that Mayer will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet in the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
The move sends the Wisconsin native back to the team where his NASCAR career started. Mayer spent three and a half O’Reilly seasons with JRM before leaving for Haas Factory Team. Hearing technology company Starkey will be his primary sponsor, according to the official JR Motorsports press release.
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Mayer currently drives the No. 41 Chevrolet for Haas Factory Team. He sits fifth in the O’Reilly Series Chase standings after Friday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He trails HFT teammate and points leader Sheldon Creed by 78 points.
Haas Factory Team confirmed the split in a statement.
Sam Mayer’s Best Years Came in JR Motorsports’ No. 1
Mayer’s history with JRM goes back to 2018, when he joined the team’s Late Model program as a teenager early in his motorsports career. He raced for that program in 2018 and 2019. He then made his O’Reilly Series debut with JRM on a part-time schedule in 2021.
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His best seasons came in the No. 1 Chevrolet. Mayer won seven of his eight career O’Reilly races in that car, with four wins in 2023 and three in 2024. He finished a career-best third in the championship standings in 2023.
Sam Mayer by The Numbers
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8 career O’Reilly Series wins, 7 of them in JRM’s No. 1 Chevrolet
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3rd place, his best championship finish, in 2023
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1 win with Haas Factory Team, at Iowa in 2025
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13 top fives in 2025, matching his career high
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6 top fives and 13 top 10s so far in 2026
His first season with HFT in 2025 also went well. Mayer won at Iowa Speedway, which was the team’s first win as an organization. He posted career-best averages of 8.1 for starts and 11.5 for finishes that year.
Mayer said in the team release that he was glad to be back in a familiar seat.
“I am really happy to be back with JR Motorsports and back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet. I’m really grateful to continue my career with the organization that gave me my start and thankful to Starkey for being an incredible partner and for their continued support in my racing career.”
Starkey already backs Mayer’s No. 41 for the final 11 races of this season. Mayer said his focus remains on the current season.
“There is still some racing left to do this year and I am focused on that, but I can’t wait to get the 2027 season underway at Daytona with JRM.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sees a Changed Driver
Team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. stated that Mayer has grown since he left the team.
“I think he’s a different dude than when he left. And I think he also appreciates us a little more. … I don’t want that to sound the wrong way, but I think he realizes he was in a really good spot with us.”
Earnhardt said the team worked to build the right support around Mayer before bringing him back.
“And we’ve really worked hard to try to figure out how to put around him what he needed to win and be successful mentally, really. So I think he’s excited, and we worked with him all the way through the Late Models and all that so it’s very familiar. He’ll be a nice addition to what we’ve got going on.”
Mayer returns to the strongest team in the series. JRM has won 15 of 27 races this season and has four drivers in the 12-driver Chase, according to NASCAR.com.
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The deal also fills the No. 1 as JRM reshuffles its lineup. Carson Kvapil, who has primarily driven the No. 1 this season, will move to the No. 8 in 2027. That seat opened when Sammy Smith announced he would leave JRM after the 2026 season.
Before the reunion, Mayer still has a title to chase with Haas Factory Team. He will close out the 2026 Chase in the No. 41 before returning to JRM for the 2027 season opener at Daytona.
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