Sheldon Creed is the current points leader in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. After a record number of second place finishes, he finally broke through at Atlanta (or, as it’s officially called EchoPark Speedway) for his first win. Since the start of the Chase, he has added two more in the win column. With five more races to go, barring a complete reversal of fortune for pre-Chase favourite Justin Allgaier, Creed may be on the verge of adding an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship to the Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Series titles currently on his resume.
But what’s everyone talking about? The announcement that Creed will leave his Haas Factory Team to drive the #26 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing. The general reaction to the news that broke this past week could basically be summarized in two words.
Wait….What? (Admittedly, there were probably a few fans who added “Who?” to the mix.)
To give you an idea of what this means for Creed’s career, his goal in 2026 is to win the championship. In 2027, it will be…to make the Chase, something Sam Hunt Racing did not do this year with Harrison Burton and Dean Thompson, the current driver of the #26.
My understanding is that the ride at SHR will come with an actual salary and the ability for Creed to have a more financially secure future for his family. (I don’t know enough about NASCAR to know the ins and outs of the financial situation but I always assumed NASCAR drivers got paid something.)
Having said that, Creed is going to need to prepare himself from running up front to having to fight through traffic back in 15th to 20th. Ironically, it is not unlike what Brad Keselowski (another guy making headlines for his contribution to Silly Season) went through when he left Team Penske for what would become Roush-Fenway-Keselowski. He left behind the successful ride in the #2 Ford to pilot a mediocre #6 ride. It was definitely a leap of faith and one that ultimately may not have worked out. While it won’t be his name on the building, in the media, Creed has been referred to as a bit of a building block for Sam Hunt Racing. He knows how to win, and it appears that the hope is that he can elevate the team from also-rans to Victory Lane. While I would suggest, like everything else, it’s all about the money but perhaps Creed was drawn to that role as well.
Creed also said to the media that his ultimate goal is to get to the Cup Series. You can’t fault Creed for that. However, one has to wonder if he truly believes that’s going to be possible with Sam Hunt Racing, an organization whose next Cup race will be their first.
Is it the Toyota ties? Is Creed thinking that he puts his time in at SHR but continues to strengthen his ties at Joe Gibbs Racing, for whom he raced in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2024, that they’ll bring him back under the JGR umbrella.
There’s just one problem: Joe Gibbs Racing already has a pipeline from the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. It’s called Joe Gibbs Racing. I know it’s more about adding another Owner’s Championship to Joe Gibbs’ trophy room but still…
Obviously, there is always the possibility that Sam Hunt Racing will expand to the Cup Series, bringing Creed with them. The strength of Creed’s future in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is that he will have accumulated a fair amount of experience running mid-pack, racing more for the Lucky Dog spot than the lead. As for delusions of grandeur that SHR might have of becoming the next “Where did they come from?” success story, just remember what happened to other Toyota teams who started to become too successful for Joe Gibbs Racing. Michael Waltrip Racing. Furniture Row. Hell, even Leavine Family Racing. There’s Joe Gibbs Racing. There’s 23XI Racing (and even then only when it’s convenient – notice the decline of Tyler Reddick know that getting Denny Hamlin a championship is Priority 1). That’s it. There is no more room at the Toyota Inn.
In the end, Sheldon Creed needs to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship in 2026. It will not be his best chance. Sadly, it will be his only chance.
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