Sheldon Creed

Sheldon Creed — Driver Profile

2026 Season

Sheldon Creed has been the most consistent driver in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026. Through 12 races he sits second in points behind only Justin Allgaier, with one win (EchoPark Atlanta), six top-fives, and ten top-tens. He led on the final lap at Talladega on April 25 — and Hendrick rookie Corey Day passed him for Day's first career O'Reilly Series win in a dramatic finish. At Texas on May 2, Creed finished sixth. His combination of pace, consistency, and a near-zero DNF rate makes him the most credible challenger to Allgaier's championship lead.

2026 Stats (through 12 races): 2nd in points (477 pts, -121) | 1 win (EchoPark Atlanta) | 6 top 5s | 10 top 10s

Career

Creed is a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion (2020) who has spent recent seasons establishing himself as a top-tier O'Reilly Series competitor with Haas Factory Team. He brings championship-caliber experience and a mechanical background that traces to dirt racing and off-road competition before he reached NASCAR's national ranks.

The Story

Creed's 2026 season is the quietest title threat in the field. He doesn't generate as many headlines as the younger drivers around him, but a 7.5 average finish and zero DNFs through eight races makes him the driver everyone else is actually chasing in points. The question for Creed is whether he can produce a signature multi-win stretch that forces the conversation his way.

Recent Coverage

Coverage (7 articles)

Connor Zilisch Stayed Out on Old Tires With 28 Laps Left. Rodney Childers Knew Exactly What He Was Doing.

John Speedway·April 12, 2026

Rodney Childers made the call to stay out on old tires with 28 laps left. Connor Zilisch made him look like a genius, holding off Kyle Larson to win the Suburban Propane 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Taylor Gray Short-Pits Kansas — and Jason Ratcliff Wins the Ballgame From the Box

John Speedway·April 19, 2026

Taylor Gray won the Kansas Lottery 300 on a Jason Ratcliff short-pit call at Lap 143. Sheldon Creed pocketed the $100K Dash 4 Cash. Corey Day's top-10 streak ended at eight. Joe Gibbs Racing takes down the Chevy juggernaut for the second time all year.

Corey Day Beat Allgaier at Dover. The Pass Came With Four Laps Left, Up Against the Outside Wall.

John Speedway·May 18, 2026

Corey Day, 20, made his first Dover start a winning one. The Hendrick Motorsports No. 17 split lapped traffic against the outside wall with four laps left to pass Justin Allgaier and take the BetRivers 200 by .461 seconds — his second career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory. Allgaier still leads the championship by 155 over Sheldon Creed.

Connor Zilisch Was Fifteen Seconds Back. He Won at the Last Brake Zone.

John Speedway·May 12, 2026

Connor Zilisch ran Jesse Love down on fresher tires Saturday at Watkins Glen, then passed him in the final corner of the final lap to win the Mission 200 by 0.262 seconds — Zilisch's third consecutive NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win at The Glen and his thirteenth career win.

The Hungry Gator Got to Larson's Bumper. He Just Couldn't Get Around Him.

John Speedway·May 3, 2026

Kyle Larson held the bottom for 17 green-flag laps and beat his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier to the line by 0.293 seconds at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. Allgaier — the points leader, three-time winner this year, sitting on the pole — got to Larson's bumper. He just couldn't get around him without contact, and he wasn't going to make contact. JR Motorsports went one-two. Allgaier extended his championship lead to 121 points anyway.

Allgaier Has the Championship Lead. Zilisch Has the Last Win. They Both Run at Dover Saturday.

John Speedway·May 12, 2026

Justin Allgaier brings the championship lead to Saturday's Dover BetRivers 200 (640 points, +155 over Sheldon Creed). Connor Zilisch brings the last win, having passed Jesse Love in the final corner of the Mission 200 at Watkins Glen by 0.262 seconds for his third straight O'Reilly Series win at The Glen. The brand-new Goodyear right-side tire designed for the Monster Mile's concrete decides the rest.

Allgaier Finally Wins at Pocono, the One Big Track That Kept Beating Him

John Speedway·June 13, 2026

Justin Allgaier finally won at Pocono, the one big track that kept beating him, surviving a wild three-wide final restart to take the MillerTech Battery 250 by .607 seconds. A two-laps-to-go shove from JR Motorsports teammate William Byron sealed his fifth win of 2026 and stretched his championship lead to 250 points over Jesse Love.

2026 Season — NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series