Sam Mayer will return to JR Motorsports for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, the team announced Tuesday. The 23-year-old previously drove for JR Motorsports in a partial 2021 campaign and then full-time from 2022 to 2024.
Starkey will come with Mayer to serve as a primary sponsor. Mayer is set to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS, the same car he drove in his first JR Motorsports stint. That ride went to Carson Kvapil in 2025, and this year it’s been split between Kvapil and Connor Zilisch. Kvapil will move to the No. 8 Chevrolet next year to replace an outgoing Sammy Smith.
“I am really happy to be back with JR Motorsports and back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet,” Mayer said. “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. 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.”
2 Years with Haas Factory Team
Since 2025 Mayer has driven full-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Haas Factory Team. That pairing produced one win last year, but Mayer is still searching for his first victory of the 2026 season. He’s presently fifth in the standings, 78 points out of the lead.
“We would like to thank [Mayer] for two impressive seasons, including our first win as an organization,” Haas Factory Team said in a statement Tuesday. “”We wish Sam the best going forward.” No announcement was available Tuesday regarding the future of the No. 41 team.
A Winning Past at JR Motorsports
In his three full years at JR Motorsports, Sam Mayer emerged as a consistent contender for race wins and a championship threat. The 2023 season was statistically his best; Mayer won four times and finished third in the final standings. Seven of Mayer’s eight career wins have come in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
“I’m looking forward to working with Sam again,” said team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “JRM and Sam know how to win races together and it’s my belief that Sam has improved as a driver since our past relationship. I appreciate Sam’s eagerness to win, and I know he’s excited to get back in the building and get to work. We’re also excited to welcome Starkey to the team and look forward to building a strong relationship and accomplishing great things together.”
Starkey Sponsorship
On the business side, the Starkey brand has supported Sam Mayer since August when they moved their sponsorship from the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team to the Haas Factory Team No. 41 car. The JGR alliance seemed a natural fit with driver William Sawalich being the son of Starkey President and CEO Brandon Sawalich. In actuality, Starkey subsidiary SoundGear has picked up where its parent company left off sponsoring the No. 18 Toyota.
Another Starkey product, Audibel, has sponsored Mayer full-time since the start of 2025. The company has not appeared on an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series car since the main Starkey branding began appearing on the No. 41 Chevrolet.
“Great partnerships have the power to change conversations, and this one gives us a platform to do exactly that,” Brandon Sawalich said. “Hearing health belongs in every conversation about performance, protection and quality of life. In a sport where sound is a vital part of the experience for both drivers and fans, and hearing is exposed to extreme environments, protecting it should be just as important as protecting any other part of the body. Starkey is proud to bring our leadership in hearing technology and innovation to the racing community and inspire a new generation to think differently about hearing health and conservation.”
We’re all ears for this one.
Sam Mayer, Starkey join JR Motorsports starting in 2027. pic.twitter.com/KSBSBLBpkv
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) September 22, 2026
