14 Oct 2026
NASCAR In Charlotte: Sam Mayer Calls Out NASCAR’s O’Reilly Drivers
Sam Mayer calls out NASCAR’s O’Reilly drivers, and Garrett Smithley responds with a different perspective on equipment, resources, and the work behind the finishing order. Chase Holden and Garrett Smithley break down the Blue Cross NC 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on this week’s episode of RaceSpace Podcast.
Episode 30 opens with a rainy Charlotte weekend on the oval—not the Roval—and the busy week that came before it. Garrett fills in on Carson Hocevar’s mini-golf team, we head to Corey LaJoie’s Kickball Klassic, and Shane van Gisbergen shows what he can do with a kickball. There’s Bobby Labonte bringing his own putter, Kaden Honeycutt’s competitive streak, Gio Ruggiero’s fan-made artwork, and more golf with Garsen at The 500 Club.
Then Garrett takes you inside a difficult night in the No. 0 Mullis Construction Chevrolet. He explains the handling problems, the brake issue the team found afterward, and why racing without practice left them chasing adjustments. He also shares a post-race mouthguard report showing a nearly 10 G non-crash event, opening a discussion about head-motion data and NASCAR’s safety research.
Corey Day wins again after Las Vegas, tightening the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship battle with Sheldon Creed, Jesse Love, and Justin Allgaier. Four drivers leave Charlotte separated by 15 points, with Phoenix next and Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead still ahead.
Sam Mayer’s post-race comments lead to a bigger question: how much does a finishing position really tell you about a driver? Garrett discusses the differences in equipment and funding, the effort throughout the field, and what a hypothetical ride swap might reveal about the drivers.
In the Bank of America 400 recap, Chase Briscoe earns back-to-back Cup wins while Christopher Bell is left with a narrow defeat. We discuss Denny Hamlin’s pit-road setback, Kyle Larson’s growing Chase lead, and why beating someone on track does not always mean gaining on them in points. The Truck Series discussion covers Layne Riggs’ bounce-back win and his championship fight with Kaden Honeycutt.
We close with Garrett’s firsthand reflections on Kyle Busch’s Celebration of Life at Charlotte, Samantha Busch’s words, Brexton’s burnout, and what the evening meant to the NASCAR community before looking ahead to Phoenix Raceway.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open
00:24 Charlotte recap: the oval, not the Roval
02:51 Rain delays and the Sunday-night doubleheader
06:22 Garrett joins Carson Hocevar’s mini-golf team
07:45 Bobby Labonte brought his own putter
09:58 Corey LaJoie’s Kickball Klassic
12:58 Honeycutt and Mamba: kickball
15:05 Shane van Gisbergen’s kickball power
18:59 Garage friendships and Gio Ruggiero’s grappling story
22:15 Gio Ruggiero’s fan-made mafia artwork
26:56 The 500 Club
28:33 Why the driver–spotter relationship matters
29:42 Garsen Golf and Garrett’s race-car graveyard find
30:55 Garrett’s Charlotte race
35:21 The brake issue and a car that would not respond
38:09 Mouthguard report and NASCAR safety
42:01 The No. 0’s Phoenix preparation
43:28 Corey Day wins again at Charlotte
46:01 O’Reilly Chase: four drivers, 15 points
50:54 Sam Mayer: Garrett responds
53:39 What if the drivers swapped cars?
57:02 Briscoe beats Bell: the Cup finish and disappointment
59:02 Cup incidents and Denny Hamlin’s pit-road setback
01:00:23 Why Hamlin beat Larson but lost points
01:02:01 Season-long points vs. the Chase
01:02:49 The Cup championship fight heading to Phoenix
01:05:02 Layne Riggs bounces back against Kaden Honeycutt
01:07:47 Kyle Busch’s Celebration of Life at Charlotte
01:09:51 Samantha’s words and Brexton’s burnout
01:13:21 Phoenix weekend schedule and closing thoughts
