Second No More: Sheldon Creed Cashes In at EchoPark

Incredible. That’s how Sheldon Creed described his first career victory in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and that’s likely how anyone who watched the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 would describe the final dramatic run to the checkered flag Saturday evening at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway.

While racing hard for the win on the final lap, the Chevrolets of five-time Atlanta race winner Austin Hill and NASCAR Cup Series full-timer Ross Chastain collided while running first and second clearing the way for the 28-year-old Californian Creed to emerge from his third place position just behind. Taking advantage of the opportunity Creed raced his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet cleanly through the incident coming out of the last turn in front to earn his first career trophy in the series after setting a series record with 15 runner-up finishes.

“Incredible,’’ a smiling Creed said after accepting his first series checkered flag from the flagman after the race. “It worked out. Finally a winner.

“Obviously had a lot of good runs, but never finished it up, never won,’’ he said after hoisting his trophy in Victory Lane – his voice a little softer after screaming with emotion on the cool down lap and later after celebrating with his team.

“To finally do that, after it looked like another second place for awhile coming off of [turn] two, it just all worked out for us tonight.”

It was a fitting ending to an action-packed race that featured 11 leaders and a record 24 lead changes on the 1.5-mile Atlanta high banks with Creed ultimately besting Viking Motorsports’ Parker Retzlaff by .309-second. Former Atlanta winner, AM Racing’s Nick Sanchez finished third, his third top-five finish in as many starts at the track. Hendrick Motorsports’ Corey Day was fourth with Hill’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Jesse Love rounding out the top-five.

Chastain was able to recover from the contact with Hill to finish sixth in the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet and after watching a replay post-race explained there was no intent to spin Hill. He was just going for the win.

“No excuse, I turned him okay, for sure,’’ Chastain said of the late race contact 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.”

A two-time defending winner of this race, Hill, finished 12th after a dramatic day of racing at his home track.

“We did everything right to get into the lead,’’ said Hill, who started an uncharacteristic 20th in the 38-car field but ended up taking the point for the first time on lap 105 and ultimately leading the most laps on the day (34 of the 163).

“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.’’

Creed’s Haas Factory Team teammate Sam Mayer finished seventh, followed by JR Motorsports’ rookie Rajah Caruth, who led a career best 22 laps. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Taylor Gray and Brandon Jones rounded out the top-10.

After so many runner-up finishes and victory lane near-misses, even Creed’s competitors made a point to congratulate him on finally scoring that elusive first win. He is an accomplished driver, having claimed the 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with a five-win season. And as his 15 runner-up showings would indicate, Creed has consistently been a front-runner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“It just wears on you to not to win,’’ Creed said, conceding he was feeling both a huge sense of relief and a huge surge of happiness for his work. “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.’’

“It’s been four years since I stood in Victory Lane and you miss that feeling that’s why you keep working on it,’’ he added.

Even with his 12th place, Hill – who won the Daytona season-opener – holds the championship lead by 22 points over Caruth.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series moves to Austin, Texas next week for the first road course test of the season in the Focused Health 250 at the Circuit of the Americas (3 p.m. ET, CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Connor Zilisch won the race last year and the NASCAR Cup Series rookie will try to defend his trophy, driving the JR Motorsports No. 1 Chevrolet.

RACE RESULTS