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Franklin Today
By the People, for the People
Mayer Breaks RCR's Superspeedway Pole Dominance at EchoPark
Sam Mayer scores his fourth career pole, denying RCR drivers the top spot at the drafting track
Published on Feb. 21, 2026
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Sam Mayer, driving the No. 41 Audibel Chevrolet Camaro for Haas Factory Team, claimed the pole position for the Bennett 250 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at EchoPark Speedway. Mayer's lap of 31.804 seconds at 174.318 mph beat out Carson Kvapil's JR Motorsports Chevrolet for the top spot, ending RCR's recent stranglehold on superspeedway poles in the series.
Why it matters
RCR drivers like Austin Hill have typically dominated qualifying at the drafting tracks in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, but Mayer's pole-winning run shows that other teams and drivers are closing the gap and can challenge the RCR juggernaut. This could lead to more parity and unpredictability in the racing at EchoPark and other superspeedways.
The details
Mayer, a native of Franklin, Wisconsin, led both rounds of qualifying to earn his fourth career pole position in the series and second with the Haas Factory Team. Carson Kvapil, making his series debut with Arby's sponsorship on a JR Motorsports entry, qualified second, matching his career-best start. Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed, and William Sawalich rounded out the top-5, with three Chevrolets and two Toyotas in the top-5.
- Mayer led qualifying on Friday, February 21, 2026 ahead of the Bennett 250 race at EchoPark Speedway.
- The Bennett 250 race will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 5:30 PM ET.
The players
Sam Mayer
A 23-year-old driver from Franklin, Wisconsin who is competing full-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for Haas Factory Team.
Carson Kvapil
A 21-year-old driver making his series debut with Arby's sponsorship on a JR Motorsports entry.
Haas Factory Team
The NASCAR team that fields cars for Sam Mayer in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
JR Motorsports
The NASCAR team that fields cars for Carson Kvapil and other drivers in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Richard Childress Racing (RCR)
The NASCAR team that has typically dominated qualifying at superspeedway tracks in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
What they’re saying
“We're showing up pretty similar to what we have in the last year with this Haas Factory Team. I feel like it's going to be pretty good. We were in the race, top-five, top-10 all day, finished third [referring to last year], so I feel pretty good about what we have.”
— Sam Mayer, Driver (The CW)
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This qualifying result shows that Haas Factory Team and other non-RCR teams are closing the gap at superspeedways, potentially leading to more parity and unpredictability in the racing at EchoPark and other drafting tracks in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
