WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Sam Mayer doesn’t have a license to drive a street car yet, but he’s set to make his debut in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series a month before he takes his driver’s test.
But inexperience won’t be a problem when Mayer, who turned 16 on June 26, takes to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet on Aug. 15. In the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, Mayer won from the pole on April 6, leading all 150 laps in the process.
His remarkable record in the series this year includes wins from the pole at Bristol and Iowa Speedway, along with an average starting spot of 3.1 and an average finish of 3.6 through seven races—combining to give Mayer the series lead.
That, along with a successful test at Bristol in a GMS truck—with traction compound applied to the track—has Mayer understandably confident about his prospects in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
“I got the opportunity to test the truck earlier this week,” Mayer said on Friday at Watkins Glen. “We had the VHT (traction compound) down, which really helped my learning curve there. We started out going like 75 percent, just getting a feel for it, but, honestly, it felt a lot like a K&N car there when I’m out there by myself.
“But obviously, it’s going to change a lot with 31 other trucks out there, so I’m going to have to play it by ear there and get a feel for it during practice, racing around other trucks. But right now I feel really comfortable. GMS put together a really good truck for me to test in, so I expect even better when we go out and race.”
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service