Sheldon Creed admits he was beginning to feel “snakebit.”
Going down the backstretch Feb. 21 on the final lap of his 137th career start on NASCAR’s No. 2 series, Creed was running in third place.
And for the 137th straight time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series, it appeared the 28-year-old native of Alpine wasn’t going to win.
“You can’t feel frustrated at that moment,” Creed said last week. “You’re looking for an opening, that path to victory. But I had been there before, so close …”
So very close. He had finished second 15 times in the O’Reilly Series. He also had finished third six times. He had 35 top-five and 68 top-10 finishes in his first 136 starts — meaning he had finished in the top-10 in exactly half his races.
But he had exactly zero wins and had set a NASCAR record for most second-place finishes before winning a race.
Creed again looked like a bridesmaid on the 1.54-mile, high-banked EchoPark oval outside Atlanta. He was running behind Austin Hill and Ross Chastain into the final turn with no clear path to victory.
Then fate finally intervened on Creed’s behalf. Hill and Chastain made contact. As the pair slid down the banking, Creed kept his Chevrolet Camaro headed straight for the checkered flag. The drought was over.
“A lot of emotions,” Creed said of his breakthrough victory. “Excitement and relief. I knew I could win in this series. It just hadn’t happened. But you begin to wonder.”
No more.
Creed, a 2016 graduate of Lakeside’s El Capitan High School, is looking for a breakthrough season in his second campaign with the Haas Factory Team. He is fourth in the standings after three races and finished fifth on the road course at the Circuit of the Americas last Saturday after winning at Atlanta.
“This is an exciting year,” Creed said. “Having a second straight year with the same team and crew is a huge plus. Plus, we switched back to Chevrolet from Ford and the engines we’re getting from Hendrick Motorsports are a little bit better than the Fords.”
HAMPTON, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 21: Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Creed will return to his hometown on June 20, part of the O’Reilly stage of the three-day NASCAR event on the temporary road course at Naval Base Coronado.
“You have no idea what this event means to me,” said Creed. “I never thought it was going to happen, never even dreamed that I could. When I first started hearing rumblings two years ago, my thought was that it would have to be downtown.”
Creed is the only NASCAR driver who has actually raced on the planned Coronado circuit before. He drove a stadium track on the tarmac of Naval Air Station Coronado during the 2015 Coronado Speed Festival historic races.
Creed has raced in San Diego County since he last climbed into a Lightning Sprint car on the quarter-mile dirt oval at Barona Speedway in 2019.
“I only get back to see my family twice a year,” he said. “Usually, Phoenix (where Creed races this weekend) is as close as I get.”
HAMPTON, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 21: Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Road Ranger Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 at Echo Park Speedway on February 21, 2026 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Creed said he prefers ovals to road courses “but not by much.” He’s also hoping a strong finish this season in the O’Reilly Series will catapult him into a ride in the featured Cup division.
“Some contracts are coming up after this season,” said Creed. “We’re working pretty hard to position ourselves for funding and a shot for next season. It’s getting harder to find sponsors. Winning helps.”
NASCAR has changed its championship system from winner-take-all finals to accumulated playoff points this year.
“I have to be consistent in the top 10 every week and win a few more races,” said Creed. “I like both systems, but this might be fairer. Last season, Connor Zilisch won 10 races and dominated the series but lost the title because of the championship race. That didn’t seem fair.”
Creed said he has learned a lot about racing and business.
“I had no idea I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” he said. “There are so many factors (that go) into being good. It’s not just being in the car. You have to learn about working with people, making decisions off and on the track and learning how to deal with constant changes and the rules.”
Which brought him to one final topic about Coronado. While part-time driver and fellow San Diego County native Jimmie Johnson hopes to drive in two and possibly three races over the Father’s Day Weekend NASCAR tripleheader, Creed is limited to the O’Reilly race.
“Because this is a first-time race, series regulars are restricted to their specialty event,” said Creed. “NASCAR doesn’t want drivers gaining seat time and added course knowledge by driving in more than their assigned race.”