Sheldon Creed capitalizes for first O'Reilly career victory at Atlanta

The 2020 Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, led 17 of 163-scheduled laps and capitalized on a last-lap incident involving Austin Hill and Ross Chastain to achieve his first elusive career win.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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After accumulating 15 runner-up results through four full-time seasons in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series division, Sheldon Creed is winless no more. He is instead a winner, a feat he achieved for the first time amid a wild finish to the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, February 21.

Why it matters

Creed's victory marks a significant milestone in his NASCAR career, as he has long been considered one of the top talents in the series without a win to his name. This win could help revive his career and establish him as a consistent contender for the championship.

The details

Creed, the 2020 Craftsman Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, led six times for 17 of 163 scheduled laps. During a six-lap dash to the finish, Creed capitalized on a last-lap incident between leaders Austin Hill and Ross Chastain to take the lead and claim his first career O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory.

  • Creed led the final lap after the leaders, Austin Hill and Ross Chastain, made contact exiting the backstretch.
  • The event featured a total of 24 lead changes among 11 different leaders.

The players

Sheldon Creed

The 2020 Craftsman Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, who earned his first career O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory.

Austin Hill

The driver who led a race-high 34 laps but lost the lead on the final lap after contact with Ross Chastain.

Ross Chastain

The driver who was leading on the final lap but lost momentum after contact with Austin Hill, allowing Creed to take the win.

Parker Retzlaff

The driver who recorded a career-best runner-up finish.

Nick Sanchez

The driver who finished third, recording his first top-5 result of the 2026 season.

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What they’re saying

“'Incredible,' Creed said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. '[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 (CW Network)

“'[Taking the lead] Never plays how you kind of draw it up,' Creed added. '[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 (CW Network)

What’s next

The next event on the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule is Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the Focused Health 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, February 28, and air at 3 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.

The takeaway

Creed's first career O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory after years of close calls and runner-up finishes is a testament to his perseverance and talent. This win could be a turning point in his career, as he looks to build on this momentum and become a consistent contender for the championship.