Sheldon Creed Dominates Darlington to Open Chase Era and Narrow Championship Gap

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Sheldon Creed continued his impressive momentum by capturing his second consecutive NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory, dominantly taking the lead in the Chase for the Championship opener with a commanding performance in the Fleetio 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Saturday night.

Creed seized the lead following a crucial pit stop with 49 laps remaining, as his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet roared to the front during a late-race restart. From there, the 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion maintained his position flawlessly, crossing the finish line 2.961 seconds ahead of Hendrick Motorsports rookie Corey Day, who delivered an admirable run in his own Chase debut.

Creed’s strength at Darlington Raceway, often referred to as the track “Too Tough to Tame,” has become legendary. Saturday’s triumph marked his seventh top-10 finish in nine starts at the 1.366-mile oval, adding to his previous runner-up finish in 2022 and two Truck Series victories in 2021.

“I’ve wanted this O’Reilly win here for so long, and to finally get that is incredible,” said Creed, 29. “We tried a different strategy early in the race that helped us get up to speed, and then the pit crew really stepped up with that crucial stop. From there, I just had to manage the lead and keep it clean.”

The victory was particularly meaningful as it tightened the championship race. Four of the twelve Chase-eligible drivers finished in the top five, with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brent Crews securing third place. While Crews isn’t eligible for the driver’s title, his strong showing bolsters his team’s bid for the owners’ championship.

Chase competitors Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports) and Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) completed the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively in their Chevrolets.

Despite starting from the pole and leading a race-best 60 of the 147 laps, defending series champion Justin Allgaier faced disappointment when his No. 7 Chevrolet made contact with the wall with 23 laps remaining. Nursed home cautiously, Allgaier finished 17th, ending a remarkable streak of ten consecutive top-10 finishes at Darlington. More significantly, the setback slashed his championship advantage from 35 points to just seven points ahead of Creed heading into the final eight races.

“Our Chevrolet was really strong early on when we were leading,” reflected Allgaier, who also claimed Stage 1 victory. “We were managing the tires well and maintaining good pace. But somewhere in the middle section, things started to fall off. In the final stage, we just didn’t have the car we needed, and I was doing everything I could just to bring it home safely.”p>

Viking Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo rounded out the top six, followed by Chase drivers Taylor Gray and Creed’s teammate Sam Mayer. Local favorite Jeremy Clements, though not championship-eligible, earned ninth place for his fourth top-10 performance of the season.

Rounding out the top ten was Chase competitor Brandon Jones. Meanwhile, other title contenders Parker Retzlaff and Rajah Caruth battled through adversity to finish 21st and 26th respectively.

The battle for the championship intensified with Creed’s win. JR Motorsports’ Carson Kvapil remains third in the standings, 19 points behind Allgaier, while Hill sits fourth at 36 points back. Rookie sensation Day moved into fifth place, 46 points off the lead.

“It’s still a long way to go, but we need to stay focused on finishing toward the front and capitalizeizing on every opportunity,” Creed emphasized heading into the next round.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series continues next Saturday with Race 2 of the Chase – the Nu Way 225 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. The event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be viewed on The CW, heard on MRN, and followed on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Current NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch holds the distinction of being the defending race winner.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Fleetio 200
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, South Carolina
Saturday, September 5, 2026

1. (13) Sheldon Creed (C), Chevrolet, 147.
2. (14) Corey Day (C), Chevrolet, 147.
3. (8) Brent Crews # (C), Toyota, 147.
4. (11) Sammy Smith (C), Chevrolet, 147.
5. (6) Austin Hill (C), Chevrolet, 147.
6. (12) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 147.
7. (7) Taylor Gray (C), Toyota, 147.
8. (5) Sam Mayer (C), Chevrolet, 147.
9. (15) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 147.
10. (3) Brandon Jones (C), Toyota, 147.

11. (17) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 147.
12. (1) Carson Kvapil (C), Chevrolet, 147.
13. (4) Jesse Love (C), Chevrolet, 147.
14. (19) Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 147.
15. (20) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 147.
16. (28) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 147.
17. (2) Justin Allgaier (C), Chevrolet, 147.
18. (31) Jake Finch, Chevrolet, 147.
19. (18) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 147.
20. (16) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 147.
21. (10) Parker Retzlaff (C), Chevrolet, 147.
22. (27) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 147.
23. (25) Preston Pardus, Chevrolet, 147.
24. (33) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 147.
25. (34) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 147.
26. (9) Rajah Caruth (C), Chevrolet, 145.
27. (26) Daniel Dye(i), Chevrolet, 145.
28. (29) Logan Bearden, Chevrolet, 145.
29. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, Overheating, 119.
30. (22) William Sawalich, Toyota, Accident, 106.
31. (21) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, Accident, 101.
32. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, Engine, 87.
33. (23) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Accident, 73.
34. (37) Glen Reen, Toyota, Accident, 73.
35. (32) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Accident, 69.
36. (38) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Electrical, 29.
37. (30) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Clutch, 23.
38. (36) Brad Perez, Ford, Brakes, 21.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 102.045 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hr, 58 Mins, 4 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.961 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 7 for 38 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Allgaier (C) 1-35; J. Love (C) 36; B. Jones (C) 37-39; J. Allgaier (C) 40-64; C. Kvapil (C) 65-84; A. Alfredo 85-93; C. Day (C) 94; S. Creed (C) 95-147.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Justin Allgaier (C) 2 times for 60 laps; Sheldon Creed (C) 1 time for 53 laps; Carson Kvapil (C) 1 time for 20 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 9 laps; Brandon Jones (C) 1 time for 3 laps; Corey Day (C) 1 time for 1 lap; Jesse Love (C) 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 7,1,21,41,99,96,51,2,87,54
Stage #2 Top Ten: 96,17,00,8,1,7,21,41,28,39

–by Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

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