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Sam Mayer Crash Tears Down Turn 1 Wall in Massive San Diego Pileup

The impact breached a temporary outside wall and catchfence, forcing a red flag while crews removed and replaced the damaged section.

Overview

  • Sam Mayer misjudged his Turn 1 entry on a Lap 35 restart, clipped the inside wall, struck Anthony Alfredo and slammed into the outside concrete barrier, which began the chain-reaction wreck.
  • The collision involved roughly 23–25 cars and produced an immediate red flag as crews tended to drivers and assessed extensive damage.
  • Track workers used cranes to remove and fully replace the damaged temporary wall section and repair the Turn 1 catchfence before the race could resume.
  • Both Mayer and Alfredo were evaluated at the track medical center and released, with reports that Alfredo was limping; many other drivers, including Sheldon Creed and William Sawalich, sustained race-ending damage.
  • The crash followed an earlier opening-lap stoppage caused by a dislodged manhole cover, highlighting vulnerabilities in the temporary-course infrastructure that race officials will review.