Friday Faceoff: Was Sam Mayer’s Penalty Too Much, Not Enough or Just Right?

1. Was Sam Mayer’s penalty for wrecking Jeb Burton after the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway too much, not enough or just right?

Christopher Hansen: The one-race suspension of Sam Mayer for intentionally crashing Jeb Burton after the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Series was the correct decision by NASCAR in this instance. No driver should be allowed to get away with intentionally wrecking another competitor during the race, and definitely not after the checkered flag. NASCAR got this decision right, and now Mayer will start his offseason one week earlier as a result of his actions.

James Krause: I hope one race is enough to get the message across. More than send a message of what’s OK and not OK, the suspension should serve as a mental reset for Mayer. He had a chance to be in the Championship 4, but he took himself out of it and damaged his reputation to boot.

Steve Sonderman: The punishment fits the crime. NASCAR has shown that it will suspend drivers for intentionally wrecking someone, unless it occurs at a road course, like Austin Cindric, or while racing for a win at a short track, like Sammy Smith. OK, I guess NASCAR hasn’t exactly spelled it out, but the trend is clear: It is taking these incidents very seriously. The suspension, especially for Mayer missing a race in a championship he is not eligible to win, is not the worst part. What matters more is how this style of racing shapes his reputation.

2. Which non-playoff NASCAR Cup Series driver is most likely to beat the Championship 4 for the race win?

Krause: Team Penske might not be running for a title, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see it spoil the party. Ryan Blaney has the best average finish of anyone in the field in the Next Gen at Phoenix Raceway, and Joey Logano has won there twice.

Sonderman: A Logano victory would be a fitting sendoff for the much-maligned playoff format, reportedly in its final run. But my eyes are on another Ford: Chris Buescher. He’s been remarkably consistent at Phoenix with four consecutive top-10 finishes, including three in the top five. While others battle it out for the trophy, Buescher’s knack for running near the front could put him in prime position for the checkered flag.

Hansen: Blaney and Logano are at the top of the list of drivers who could potentially keep one of the Championship 4 drivers from winning at Phoenix, like Ross Chastain did in 2023 as a non-playoff driver. Both Blaney and Logano have been spectacular in the fall at Phoenix, with Logano winning two of the last three fall races en route to the title in 2022 and 2024. If a non-playoff driver will spoil the Championship 4, Logano is the most likely to pull off the win.

3. Was his win at Martinsville the most impressive of William Byron’s Cup career?

Sonderman: William Byron led 304 total laps in the race. He led a total of 357 laps for the entirety of last season. Delivering this kind of performance with a championship berth on the line, while fending off former Martinsville winner Blaney, was his best performance yet.

Hansen: His back-to-back Daytona 500 wins aside, this was the most impressive victory of Byron’s Cup career. Described as a “Jeff Gordon-esque” performance from the NASCAR on NBC team, Byron started on the pole, swept the stages and led over 300 laps to lock in a place in the Championship 4, despite starting the race 36 points below the playoff cut line. In two instances this season, at Darlington Raceway in the spring and at the Coca-Cola 600, Byron had the field covered, leading the most laps in both races but failing to win each time. Martinsville was the first time the driver of the No. 24 rose up to the challenge while facing elimination, and he is in excellent position to continue the momentum at Phoenix, a track where Byron visited victory lane in spring 2023.

Krause: It’s No. 1 for sure, and there are not a lot of wins that challenge it. Started on the pole, won both stages, led the most laps and when his back was against the wall, he made the winning move. It could be argued that his Daytona 500 win in February is the next closest, but that mainly comes with how hard it is to win that race back-to-back with modern drafting racing.

4. Who are your championship picks for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity and Cup championship races?

Hansen: Corey Heim, Justin Allgaier and Byron. All season long, Heim has been head and shoulders above his competitors with his 11 wins. The championship is his to lose, and 2025 will end with the clock on Heim Time. On the Xfinity side, while much of the season has been on the impressive campaign Connor Zilisch has put together with a series-leading 10 victories in his rookie season, Allgaier seems best positioned approaching the finale in the desert. Allgaier overcame numerous obstacles in last year’s finale just to win the title, and compared to Zilisch, Allgaier has the experience in this Game 7-type moment. Byron’s No. 24 team has all the momentum after a come-from-behind clutch weekend at Martinsville and now has a chance to win his first Cup title. While this marks his third attempt to win the championship, Byron will put together another perfect weekend, resulting in him winning his first Cup title and the No. 24’s first title since Gordon’s fourth and final in 2001.

Sonderman: For Xfinity and Trucks, I will go with chalk: Heim and Zilisch will come away with championships, and quite honestly, I’m afraid of the reaction that will occur if they don’t. In the Cup Series, the drivers in the Championship 4 are all very talented and capable of winning. Since it is so close, small details will matter. Track position and the location of your pit stall may give you the extra advantage that sets you apart. Taking this factor into account, I will take Chase Briscoe, because he leads the series in qualifying on the pole.

Krause: Heim wins the Truck title; don’t think we’ll see a massive upset there. In Xfinity, Zilisch should win the title … but my gut is saying Allgaier repeats. In Cup, it just feels like it’s time for the storybook ending the last few seasons have been missing. Denny Hamlin, in the heat of a wild year on and off the track, finally wins a championship.