Sheldon Creed delivered another strong performance Saturday, finishing fifth in The Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. The Haas Factory Team driver started 12th and remained competitive throughout an afternoon dominated by JR Motorsports.
Creed demonstrated impressive drafting speed during the opening stage, running among the leaders as Carson Kvapil and several other championship contenders battled for position. He ultimately finished fifth in Stage 1, earning six valuable points. Creed continued competing near the front during Stage 2, where he finished sixth and added another five stage points.
His No. 00 Chevrolet remained among the leading cars during the final stage, allowing him to avoid the problems that damaged the championship
hopes of several competitors. As the field prepared for the overtime finish, Creed remained in contention behind the dominant JR Motorsports group. He ultimately finished fifth, completing all 94 laps and earning 43 points from the event.
The performance helped Creed maintain fourth in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase standings with 2,351 points. He now trails championship leader Jesse Love by 50 points, reducing his deficit from 59 entering Talladega.
With Martinsville and Homestead-Miami remaining, Creed still has an opportunity to challenge for the championship.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Sheldon Creed needs big run at Martinsville in 2026 Chase
