Sheldon Creed Claims Victory in Darlington Opener of 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Chase

During a lengthy final stint at Darlington Raceway, Sheldon Creed seized victory in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet, marking his second career win and positioning him close to the points lead as the 2026 Chase gets underway.

Creed now trails the championship leader by just seven points, with Justin Allgaier still atop the standings despite finishing 17th.

“Oh, this means everything to me,” Creed said in Victory Lane. “I’ve been on the cusp many times, and finally picking the right race to break through feels perfect. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled with the car early on, but we made adjustments overnight, and JT and the crew gave me exactly what I needed to pull away at the end. I’m incredibly proud of everyone at Haas Factory Team.”

“I want to thank my grandfather, my whole family, and especially having my kids and wife here made this moment special. While I dream of winning in front of them someday, I’m thrilled to kick off the Chase with a victory. I hope we’ve put our name on the contender list and can mount a serious title challenge.”

Corey Day recovered from a mid‑race incident to finish second, followed by Brent Crews in third, Sammy Smith fourth, and Austin Hill fifth.

Anthony Alfredo, Taylor Gray, Sam Mayer, Jeremy Clements, and Brandon Jones completed the top ten.

Stage 1

As Allgaier led the early laps, Rajah Caruth became the first Chase contender to encounter trouble, pitting under green for a mechanical problem that cost him two laps.

The race’s first incident came when Preston Pardus spun, bringing out a caution with just over ten laps remaining.

A few drivers, led by Jones and Day, opted to stay out, but they were quickly overtaken after the restart.

Jones reclaimed the lead as the field spread three‑ and four‑wide, holding off teammate Kvapil to claim the stage victory.

Allgaier took the stage win, followed by Kvapil, Hill, Mayer, Retzlaff, Alfredo, Clements, Love, Sanchez, and Gray.

Stage 2

During the stage break, most of the field remained on track, while a handful opted for fresh tires.

Allgaier maintained control of the race, while Creed and Retzlaff climbed into the top ten on newer tires. Before they could advance further, Dye hit the wall after a poor block on Thompson, sustaining right‑front damage.

Tensions rose afterward; Allgaier nearly got turned when he spun his tires on the next restart, Kvapil seized the lead, and elsewhere the competition intensified. Day ran into Sawalich three times between the exit of Turn 2 and the entrance of Turn 3, spinning Sawalich and damaging his own right‑front, after which an unimpressed Sawalich retaliated by dooring Day under caution.

On the following restart, Sanchez clipped Jeb Burton, sending him spinning toward the inside wall. Burton managed to avoid a head‑on collision but slid back into the pack, where Glen Reen tumbled into him and also collected Mason Maggio, leaving all three cars with significant damage.

Caruth narrowly escaped the incident and, thanks to the multiple cautions, regained the lead lap through a free pass.

The frequent cautions fragmented the strategies, leaving varying tire wear across the field.

Alfredo, sharing Kvapil’s strategy, surged to the lead and pulled away, while Day, having crashed a few laps earlier, charged through the field on fresh sticker tires.

Alfredo claimed the stage victory, followed by Day, Creed, Sammy Smith, Kvapil, Allgaier, Hill, Mayer, K. Sieg, and R. Sieg.

Stage 3

Creed and Day gained positions during pit stops, while Alfredo fell to tenth after a slow service.

Creed retained the lead after the restart, with Sammy Smith advancing to second.

Further back, Joey Gase lost control and spun, collecting Lavar Scott, who struck the inside wall; Sawalich also spun in the mêlée and hit the same barrier.

The race then settled into a lengthy run. Creed pulled away, while Day crept up to second but remained nearly three seconds adrift.

Allgaier brushed the wall with just over twenty laps left, struggling with an ill‑handling car; he was not alone, as several drivers slipped on the aging tires. Allgaier, Kvapil, and Retzlaff—prominent Chase contenders—fell back in the order during the final stretch.

Caruth, who had climbed to sixth, lost momentum due to a fuel‑pickup problem and was forced to pit, ending his strong comeback bid.

At the front, Creed dominated, as Day could not close the gap enough to challenge for the win.

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