After four full seasons and 15 second-place finishes in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Sheldon Creed celebrated his inaugural victory at the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250. The 2020 Craftsman Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, clinched the win on Saturday, February 21, at EchoPark Speedway, securing his first elusive triumph in the series.
Creed led for 17 laps across six different stints during the 163-lap race. Starting from fourth place, he remained competitive throughout, racing as high as second and battling for a top position until a dramatic final-lap sequence thrust him into the lead. Contact between leaders Austin Hill and Ross Chastain on the backstretch opened the door for Creed to surge ahead and take the checkered flag in a career-defining moment.
Race Setup and Early Events Shape the Competition
The starting lineup for the race was set by on-track qualifying on Friday, February 20, where Sam Mayer earned the pole position with a lap speed of 174.318 mph. He was joined on the front row by Carson Kvapil, clocking a close 173.875 mph lap.
Notable penalties before the race saw Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton, Ross Chastain, and Jeremy Clements relegated to the back of the pack for unapproved adjustments to their vehicles. Once the green flag dropped, Mayer used the outside lane advantage, aided by teammate Creed’s drafting, to fly off the line ahead of Kvapil’s inside charge.
Early racing featured intense side-by-side battles, exemplified by Kvapil and Mayer exchanging the lead multiple times while being closely pursued by Taylor Gray. The competition quickly escalated into a pack battling through multiple lanes, setting the tone for the event’s high-intensity laps.
First Caution and Multi-Car Incident Rock the Field
The race’s first yellow flag came on lap four after contact between Corey Day and Ryan Sieg during a tight three-wide contest triggered a multi-car crash. Sieg lost control after touching the outside wall, resulting in involvement from his brother Kyle Sieg and others including Harrison Burton, Blaine Perkins, and Patrick Staropoli. The incident left the Sieg brothers frustrated due to the early race mishap.
At caution, Mayer maintained the lead, followed by Creed, Gray, Rajah Caruth, and Kvapil. A strong top 10 lineup included Sammy Smith, Jesse Love, William Sawalich, Ruggiero, and Austin Hill.
Battling Strategies and Tire Issues Define the Mid-Race Action
The race resumed on lap 12 with Mayer and Gray locked in a fierce duel, exchanging the lead despite Mayer contending with a tire rub from earlier contact. Mayer eventually took control with aid from Creed, but his day was compromised due to a damaged tire that forced an unscheduled pit stop, dropping him from contention.
Following Mayer’s setback, Jesse Love and Rajah Caruth locked horns for the lead, with Austin Hill moving into the top three. Creed and Parker Retzlaff lurked closely in the drafting pack as the competition intensified through lap 30.
At the conclusion of the first stage on lap 45, Jesse Love secured the stage win, leading a tightly packed field with Caruth, Retzlaff, and others vying for position amid multiple lead changes and a significant portion of the field remaining on the lead lap.
Strategic Pit Stops Mix Up the Field
During the stage break, leaders including Love and Creed made routine pit stops. Taylor Gray was penalized for a tire violation after accidentally hitting a mechanic. The second stage started with Love and Creed side-by-side at the front.
Love led early in the stage but was overtaken by Creed on lap 62, who skillfully defended his lead against Love and Allgaier. Rajah Caruth joined the fray soon after, battling alongside Creed and Allgaier as the contest grew increasingly competitive by lap 72.
The battle culminated in Caruth stealing the lead briefly before Creed attempted a bold move that backfired, pushing him back several positions amid a fierce three-wide contest involving his teammates and rivals.
Rajah Caruth Takes Stage Two, Field Prepares for Final Push
Caruth held off an Allgaier charge to win the second stage on lap 90, a stage marked by 14 lead changes among six different leaders. The pit stops that followed shuffled front-runners, propelled by Sawalich’s decision to take only two tires, resulting in him cycling to the front.
With 64 laps remaining, Sawalich and Kvapil lined up on the front row for the final stage, but the green flag period was brief before another caution erupted due to contact between Day and Kvapil, which also collected Allgaier and caused significant damage to multiple cars.
Austin Hill Takes Charge as Final Stage Unfolds
Following the restart, Austin Hill seized the lead with support from Creed and Sammy Smith, steering the field through a single-file line along the track’s outside wall. Hill led a race-high 34 laps but eventually faced challenges from Love and Creed as the laps wound down.
Throughout the closing laps, multiple attempts to pass Hill emerged, with Ross Chastain entering the fray after regaining position from a prior penalty. Tight three-wide battles and aggressive drafting shaped the closing chapters of the race, raising the intensity and stakes for every remaining lap.
Final Laps Deliver Dramatic Lead Changes and Collision
With less than ten laps remaining, the lead group saw constant jockeying involving Hill, Creed, Chastain, Love, and others. A crucial moment arrived on the final lap when Chastain and Hill made contact exiting turn three, sending Hill spinning sideways and Chastain losing momentum.
Amid this chaos, Creed drafted behind Chastain through the backstretch, then surged ahead as no caution flag was deployed. Maintaining composure, he drove his No. 00 Road Ranger/Haas Factory Team Chevrolet Camaro down the frontstretch to secure his first career victory in the series.
Significance of Creed’s Victory and What It Means Going Forward
Sheldon Creed’s triumph in his 138th start marks his entry into the distinguished group of winners in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He joins prominent names such as Jeff Gordon, Mike Skinner, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, and Nick Sanchez in notching their first wins at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway.
“[I’ve] Been a loser the last few years and just kept showing up. Not how you draw it up when you win a Truck championship, win races and you go to [O’Reilly] and go four years winless. Incredible. [I] Thank all my past teams, [Richard Childress Racing] and [Joe Gibbs Racing]. They all gave me great opportunities. Now here with Haas Factory Team, back with Chevrolet,…Incredible. Incredible.”
?Sheldon Creed, Driver
“[Taking the lead] Never plays how you kind of draw it up,”
?Sheldon Creed, Driver
“[I’m] Finally a winner and maybe, I don’t know if one win will kind of revive my career, but maybe if I win a few this year, it will. [I’m] Probably going to drink a ton of Coors Light tonight.”
?Sheldon Creed, Driver
The runner-up was Parker Retzlaff, who achieved a career-best finish after switching to Viking Motorsports this season. Nick Sanchez, fresh off his first series win from last June, followed in third, while Corey Day and Jesse Love rounded out the top five.
Ross Chastain finished sixth after leading 22 laps, and Sam Mayer came in seventh despite damaging his car’s front end late in the race. Rajah Caruth, Taylor Gray, Brandon Jones, and Dean Thompson completed the top 11.
This race featured 24 lead changes among 11 different drivers and seven caution periods spanning 46 laps. Of the 38 starters, 19 managed to finish on the lead lap.
Current Series Standings and Upcoming Race Preview
Following the second contest of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Austin Hill maintains the points lead, holding a 22-point advantage over Rajah Caruth and 24 points over both Sheldon Creed and Jesse Love. Parker Retzlaff and Justin Allgaier trail further behind in fifth and sixth, respectively.
The series will next head to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the Focused Health 250 scheduled on Saturday, February 28. The race is set to air live at 3 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM.
Official Race Results for the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250
1. Sheldon Creed (17 laps led)
2. Parker Retzlaff
3. Nick Sanchez
4. Corey Day
5. Jesse Love (31 laps led, Stage 1 winner)
6. Ross Chastain (22 laps led)
7. Sam Mayer (23 laps led)
8. Rajah Caruth (22 laps led, Stage 2 winner)
9. Taylor Gray (2 laps led)
10. Brandon Jones
11. Dean Thompson
12. Austin Hill (34 laps led)
13. Patrick Staropoli
14. Garrett Smithley
15. Josh Bilicki
16. Jeb Burton
17. Chad Finchum
18. Nick Leitz
19. Brennan Poole
20. Luke Fenhaus (1 lap down)
21. Austin Green (1 lap down)
22. Ryan Ellis (2 laps down)
23. William Sawalich (2 laps down, 5 laps led)
24. Giovanni Ruggiero (3 laps down)
25. Anthony Alfredo (3 laps down)
26. Mason Maggio – Out (Engine)
27. Josh Williams – Out (Accident)
28. Lavar Scott – Out (Accident, 1 lap led)
29. Jeremy Clements (14 laps down)
30. Sammy Smith – Out (Accident)
31. Cody Ware – Out (Suspension)
32. Carson Kvapil – Out (Accident, 5 laps led)
33. Justin Allgaier – Out (Accident, 1 lap led)
34. Joey Gase – Out (Engine)
35. Harrison Burton – Out (Did not finish)
36. Blaine Perkins – Out (Did not finish)
37. Ryan Sieg – Out (Accident)
38. Kyle Sieg – Out (Accident)
