Gene Haas definitely did not see this one coming. Remember Kevin Harvick’s 2022 Talladega race? Stewart-Haas Racing faced a significant penalty from NASCAR, which deducted both driver and owner points from the No. 4 team, citing an L2-level infraction linked to modifications outside the approved Next-Gen rules. This may not have led to Harvick’s suspension, but his crew chief, Rodney Childers, faced four races. But this time around, things look different for the Haas affiliate in the Xfinity Series.

Right-rear hooking is a move that is considered a sin. Just take Austin Hill’s Indianapolis race, for example. This year, Hill right-rear hooked Aric Almirola, derailing the latter’s day. This led NASCAR to suspend the 31-year-old for the following race at Iowa and also dock all his playoff points. Fast forward to today, and now Haas’s Xfinity ace faces the wrath of NASCAR.

Haas’s No. 41 driver  benched after Martinsville Mayhem

It is no secret that NASCAR is becoming stricter with its rules, and after last weekend’s Xfinity Martinsville mayhem, Sam Mayer, driver of the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, won’t be hitting the track for this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Championship race at Phoenix. On Tuesday night, NASCAR dropped the news in its weekly penalty report, confirming that the 22-year-old has been handed a one-race suspension.

And the Haas Factory team quickly confirmed that it won’t appeal the penalty. Instead, Ryan Sieg will take the wheel of the No. 41 this weekend. Sieg, who normally drives the No. 39 RSS Racing Ford, a team with Haas ties, will be making his 400th career start at Phoenix. They didn’t mince words in their statement.

The statement read, “Although we are disappointed with the results, Haas Factory Team will not appeal the penalty NASCAR issued to Sam Mayer and the No. 41 team following last weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway. We remain focused on finishing the season out strong at Phoenix Raceway and look forward to contending for a race win with Ryan Sieg at the wheel.”

The suspension stems from a heated moment at Martinsville, where Mayer slammed into Jeb Burton’s No. 27 Chevrolet after the checkered flag had already waved. The two had been trading jobs all along, but things boiled over on the cooldown lap when the No. 41’s move sent Burton spinning hard into the outside wall. This led to Mayer delivering a cold response after the race, as things got heated during the interview.

NASCAR cited Mayer for violating Section 4.4B of its member code of conduct, resulting in a one-race ban. The Wisconsin native will be eligible to return at the start of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season at Daytona. Having already been knocked out of playoff contention, the 22-year-old was going to be racing for nothing but pride at the season finale before the sanctioning body’s verdict was released.

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Mayer’s suspension may have been the headline of the week’s penalty report, but it was not the only one. Two No. 51 Rick Ware Racing pit-crew members, Marquill Osborne (rear-tire changer) and De’Quan Hampton (jackman), were suspended after a wheel came off Cody Ware’s car during last Sunday’s Xfinity 500. Their suspensions include Phoenix and the 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray.

Meanwhile, Xfinity Series crew member Shane Gray was indefinitely suspended for his own violation of section 4.4 B at Martinsville. But with Mayer’s replacement being found, RSS Racing is left playing musical chairs.

A major shake-up at RSS Racing

This definitely isn’t Ryan Sieg’s first rodeo. Typically competing for his family-owned RSS Racing organization, Sieg has amassed five runner-up finishes over his 399 career starts, including one at Las Vegas last October and a near photo finish loss at Texas, where he missed the win by just 0.002 seconds.

Earlier this season at Rockingham, he led 77 of 256 laps before a late incident left him 18th, contributing to a personal best of 107 laps led this year. But this leaves a hole in Ryan’s RSS seat, and his brother, Kyle Sieg, is ready to step up. As Sieg clinches the Haas Factory opportunity, Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 39 Ford for RSS Racing at Phoenix. Kyle usually drives the No. 28 car for RSS Racing, but the team confirmed that a replacement for Kyle will be announced separately.

The statement read, “Kyle Sieg will move into the #39 for Phoenix. The driver of the #28 will be announced tomorrow. A special thanks to our longtime partner @SciAps_Inc for allowing Ryan to take this opportunity.” But with this major shake-up, Haas faces a slight disappointment as Sam Mayer doesn’t get to finish the season; however, with Ryan Sieg stepping in with ample experience, he may just shake up the game for Haas Factory Team at Phoenix.