After years of close calls, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Sheldon Creed ended a long run of winless streaks with a victory at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway this Saturday.
Fans have seen him finish second more times than anyone in his series. Creed’s confidence suffered through repeated near misses, but a final lap of the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 opened the door after Austin Hill and Ross Chastain made contact. After running in third, his No. 00 Chevrolet moved through after 24 lead changes. His first series win came after 138 starts and 15 times finishing second.
During a post-race interview with Fox Sports, Bob Pockrass, the 28-year-old, reflected on the pressure of spending four full seasons with no wins.
“I’ve thought every year, like, man, ‘Am I not good enough?’ And then you have your good runs that kind of bring your spirits back, but, yeah, do I need to go run equipment, or, I wouldn’t be an office job guy, but race cars is just it’s an incredible way to make a living, and I don’t want to go run equipment. I want to keep working hard at this, and keep winning,” Sheldon Creed said.
Creed mentioned working with former NASCAR Cup driver Josh Wise at Haas Factory Team helped him start the 2026 season on a high note.
“100% the confidence got killed the last four years, and I’d say working back with Josh Wise again, that’s helped a lot to start this season,” he added.
Creed also said that racing against other drivers in the series has built his confidence to be able to keep up and win.
Sheldon Creed Gets First Break in NASCAR Since 2020 Truck Championship
Sheldon Creed had standout success earlier in his career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, after he won the 2020 championship with GMS Racing. He collected five wins that year, beginning with his first career victory at Kentucky Speedway and adding races at Daytona, Gateway, Texas, and a dramatic win at Phoenix Raceway in overtime.
But since debuting in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2022 with Richard Childress Racing, the California native had come up short many times before finally getting his first win. Creed also made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway in September of 2023, driving the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports. He started 34th and finished 29th.
In the final laps of the O’Reilly race this Saturday, Chastain and Hill, who led a race-high 34 laps, made contact while battling for the lead and sent the series’ points-leader driver spinning. Creed slid through the gap and crossed first to claim the checkered flag at EchoPark Speedway.
Read More:
Sheldon Creed snaps historic winless streak with dramatic first O’Reilly Series win at Atlanta
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