{"id":56154,"date":"2026-02-21T21:09:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T03:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=56154"},"modified":"2026-02-21T21:09:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T03:09:43","slug":"sheldon-creed-earns-incredible-first-nascar-oreilly-auto-parts-series-victory-at-echopark-speedway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/21\/sheldon-creed-earns-incredible-first-nascar-oreilly-auto-parts-series-victory-at-echopark-speedway\/","title":{"rendered":"Sheldon Creed earns incredible first NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series victory at EchoPark Speedway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

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B<\/em>y Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

HAMPTON, Ga. \u2013 Incredible. That\u2019s how Sheldon Creed described his first career victory in the NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series and that\u2019s likely how anyone who watched the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 would describe the final dramatic run to the checkered flag Saturday evening at Atlanta\u2019s EchoPark Speedway.<\/p>\n

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Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

While racing hard for the win on the final lap, the Chevrolets of five-time Atlanta race winner Austin Hill and NASCAR Cup Series full-timer Ross Chastain collided while running first and second clearing the way for the 28-year-old Californian Creed to emerge from his third place position just behind. Taking advantage of the opportunity Creed raced his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet cleanly through the incident coming out of the last turn in front to earn his first career trophy in the series after setting a series record with 15 runner-up finishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncredible,\u2019\u2019 a smiling Creed said after accepting his first series checkered flag from the flagman after the race. \u201cIt worked out. Finally a winner.<\/p>\n

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Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, (R) douses Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, with beer in victory lane after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cObviously had a lot of good runs, but never finished it up, never won,\u2019\u2019 he said after hoisting his trophy in Victory Lane \u2013 his voice a little softer after screaming with emotion on the cool down lap and later after celebrating with his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo finally do that, after it looked like another second place for awhile coming off of [turn] two, it just all worked out for us tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a fitting ending to an action-packed race that featured 11 leaders and a record 24 lead changes on the 1.5-mile Atlanta high banks with Creed ultimately besting Viking Motorsports\u2019 Parker Retzlaff by .309-second. Former Atlanta winner, AM Racing\u2019s Nick Sanchez finished third, his third top-five finish in as many starts at the track. Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 Corey Day was fourth with Hill\u2019s Richard Childress Racing teammate Jesse Love rounding out the top-five.<\/p>\n

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Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, Carson Kvapil, driver of the #1 Arby’s Chevrolet, Corey Day, driver of the #17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 Registix Chevrolet, Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, and William Sawalich, driver of the #18 Soundgear Toyota, race during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Chastain was able to recover from the contact with Hill to finish sixth in the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet and after watching a replay post-race explained there was no intent to spin Hill. He was just going for the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo excuse, I turned him okay, for sure,\u2019\u2019 Chastain said of the late race contact with Hill. \u201cAnd I hate that I did that to another Chevy but I\u2019m glad Sheldon was there to pick it up. \u2026I don\u2019t want to spin these guys I\u2019m not trying to crash coming to the checkered. But to get the run down the back, I did not execute it very well, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

A two-time defending winner of this race, Hill, finished 12th\u00a0after a dramatic day\u00a0of racing at his home track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did everything right to get into the lead,\u2019\u2019 said Hill, who started an uncharacteristic 20th\u00a0in the 38-car field but ended up taking the point for the first time on lap 105 and ultimately leading the most laps on the day (34 of the 163).<\/p>\n

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Rajah Caruth, driver of the #88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, leads Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, Taylor Gray, driver of the #54 Operation 300 Toyota, and Sammy Smith, driver of the #8 Pilot Chevrolet, during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cComing off of Turn Two, I let it drag back a little bit to not get too far out but kind of got a little further out than I would have liked. I knew I was going to have to throw a block [on Chastain] and was trying to get squared up but it looked like he just drove into my left rear on purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. We\u2019re going for the win so not going to say, shoulda done this or shoulda done that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Creed\u2019s Haas Factory Team teammate Sam Mayer finished seventh, followed by JR Motorsports\u2019 rookie Rajah Caruth, who led a career best 22 laps. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones rounded out the top-10.<\/p>\n

After so many runner-up finishes and victory lane near-misses, even Creed\u2019s competitors made a point to congratulate him on finally scoring that elusive first win. He is an accomplished driver, having claimed the 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with a five-win season. And as his 15 runner-up showings would indicate, Creed has consistently been a front-runner in the O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series.<\/p>\n

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Sam Mayer, driver of the #41 Audibel Chevrolet, and Taylor Gray, driver of the #54 Operation 300 Toyota, lead the field during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt just wears on you to not to win,\u2019\u2019 Creed said, conceding he was feeling both a huge sense of relief and a huge surge of happiness for his work. \u201cI don\u2019t think one win is going to change things a whole lot but I think a few might.\u00a0\u00a0I might get back on the radar for Cup, and obviously I\u2019d love that. \u2026 to get one of the way is great but I want to win more.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been four years since I stood in Victory Lane and you miss that feeling that\u2019s why you keep working on it,\u2019\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

Even with his 12th\u00a0place, Hill \u2013 who won the Daytona season-opener \u2013 holds the championship lead by 22 points over Caruth.<\/p>\n

The NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series moves to Austin, Texas next week for the first road course test of the season in the Focused Health 250 at the Circuit of the Americas (3 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Connor Zilisch won the race last year and the NASCAR Cup Series rookie will try to defend his trophy, driving the JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet.<\/p>\n

Interview: NOAPS Sheldon Creed (No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet) –<\/h3>\n