Sheldon Creed captured his first career win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Saturday evening during the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway. The dramatic finale unfolded when the frontrunners collided on the last lap, allowing Creed, running third, to seize the lead and take the checkered flag in his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet.
Key Moments Define Intense Final Lap Battle
The final lap brought an intense showdown when Austin Hill, a five-time winner at Atlanta, and NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain, who were battling for first and second, collided exiting turn two. This opened the door for the 28-year-old Californian, Creed, to maneuver cleanly through the chaos and win by just over three tenths of a second ahead of Parker Retzlaff of Viking Motorsports.
“Incredible,’’ Creed said afterward, smiling during the trophy presentation.
“It worked out. Finally a winner.”
He reflected on his history of close finishes, having set a series record with 15 second-place results without winning until now.
Race Action Featured Numerous Lead Changes and Competitors’ Strong Showings
The race was marked by intense competition with 11 different leaders and a series record 24 lead changes on the 1.5-mile Atlanta high banks. Nick Sanchez, driving for AM Racing and a former winner at this track, finished third, marking his third top-five finish in as many starts there. Corey Day of Hendrick Motorsports came in fourth, and Jesse Love, Hill’s teammate at Richard Childress Racing, rounded out the top five.
Chastain, despite the late contact with Hill, bounced back to finish sixth in the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet. Watching the post-race replay, Chastain clarified he had no intention to spin Hill but admitted to a mistake in his move.
No excuse, I turned him okay, for sure,’’ Chastain said regarding the incident with Hill. “And I hate that I did that to another Chevy but I’m glad Sheldon was there to pick it up. …I don’t want to spin these guys I’m not trying to crash coming to the checkered. But to get the run down the back, I did not execute it very well, that’s for sure.
Austin Hill’s Eventful Race Ends in Disappointment Despite Strong Performance
Hill, who had begun the day 20th in the 38-car field, displayed a powerful performance by leading the most laps (34 of 163) and holding the lead for the first time on lap 105. However, the late-race collision relegated him to a 12th-place finish at his home track.
Reflecting on the contact, Hill expressed mixed feelings about Chastain’s move but accepted the aggressive nature of racing for victory.
“We did everything right to get into the lead,”
Hill said.
“Coming 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. I don’t know. We’re going for the win so not going to say, shoulda done this or shoulda done that.”
Strong Team and Rookie Performances Highlight Top-10 Finishes
Teammate Sam Mayer secured seventh place, followed by JR Motorsports rookie Rajah Caruth, who led a career-best 22 laps. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones completed the top ten, demonstrating strong competition throughout the field.
Creed’s Long-Awaited Victory Signals Potential New Chapter in Career
After many near-misses in Victory Lane, Creed’s achievement drew respect from fellow competitors. A 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion with five wins, Creed’s consistent front-running has been evident by his record number of runner-up finishes. This persistent effort culminated in his breakthrough victory at EchoPark Speedway.
“It just wears on you to not to win,’’ Creed admitted, describing the relief and joy of finally securing the top spot.
“I don’t think one win is going to change things a whole lot but I think a few might. I might get back on the radar for Cup, and obviously I’d love that. … to get one of the way is great but I want to win more.”
He also added,
“It’s been four years since I stood in Victory Lane and you miss that feeling that’s why you keep working on it.”
Championship Standings and Upcoming Challenge at Circuit of the Americas
Despite finishing 12th, Austin Hill retains the points lead in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series by 22 points over Rajah Caruth. The series now shifts to Austin, Texas, for its first road course challenge of the season—the Focused Health 250 at the Circuit of the Americas scheduled for next weekend at 3 p.m. ET. Connor Zilisch, last year’s winner and NASCAR Cup Series rookie, will aim to defend his title behind the wheel of the JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet.
