Sheldon Creed will be transitioning from Haas Factory Team (HFT) to Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) for the 2027 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
Creed, the 2020 Craftsman Truck Series champion from Alpine, California, will be piloting the No. 26 Toyota Supra entry for what will be his sixth consecutive season as a full-time O’Reilly competitor next season, an announcement that was made at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 3. The news, which is a multi-year basis, comes as Creed is currently leading this year’s Chase standings and has won two of the series’ three Chase events, including the series’ recent-scheduled event at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 18.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Sam Hunt Racing in 2027 and to chase trophies alongside Kris Bowen as my crew chief,” Creed said. “I’ve known Sam for several years and have watched SHR grow first-hand, so it’s special to put my name above the door and to be able to also call it home. Each year SHR continues to make strides, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue to help grow the organization. Currently, I’m focused on winning a championship with Haas Factory Team and closing the season out strong but am thrilled to have my plans locked in for next year and into the future with a quality group of people.”
Creed, a former Stadium Super Trucks champion and ARCA Menards Series champion, made his first pair of O’Reilly career starts in 2017 as he drove for JD Motorsports at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America, respectively. Two years later, he made a one-race O’Reily appearance driving for JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway. After competing for B.J. McLeod Motorsports during the 2021 finale at Phoenix Raceway, Creed graduated to a full-time O’Reilly campaign for the first time ever in 2022, where he drove for Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
Throughout Creed’s two-year campaign at RCR, he notched a combined seven runner-up results, 11 top-five results, 28 top-10 results, his first career pole at Portland International Raceway and 345 laps led. After missing the Playoffs and finishing in 14th place in the final standings in 2022, he made it for the following season and settled in seventh place. Creed then joined Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in 2024, where he notched six runner-up results, 16 top-five results, 23 top-10 results, two poles, 153 laps led and an average-finishing result of 13.5. He also made the 2024 Playoffs and settled in sixth place in the standings.
Beginning in 2025, Creed joined Haas Factory Team as the driver of the No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro entry. This past season, he accumulated two additional runner-up results along with eight top-five results, 16 top-10 results, a pole, 92 laps led, an average-finishing result of 16.1 and his third consecutive Playoff berth before settling in ninth place. This season, Creed achieved his first elusive victory at EchoPark Speedway in mid-February following a dramatic final-lap pass and after notching 15 runner-up results throughout his career. Throughout the month of September, he obtained an average-finishing result of 1.33 through the first three Chase events as he has notched victories at Darlington Raceway and Bristol, respectively. To go along with a runner-up result at World Wide Technology Raceway, the Californian leads the Chase standings by 11 points and has six Chase events remaining to maintain the points lead for his first series’ championship.
Through 163 career starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division, Creed has achieved three victories (all occurring in 2026), 47 top-five results (12 in 2026), 87 top-10 results (19 in 2026), five poles (one in 2026), 828 laps led (238 in 2026) and an average-finishing result of 14.2 (9.5 in 2026) as he continues his pursuit for additional victories and his first title.
Sam Hunt Racing, which debuted in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series division during the 2019 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway before being elevated as a full-time team in 2020, welcomes Creed as the third ever competitor to pilot the organization’s No. 26 Toyota entry on a full-time basis in 2027. The entry is currently being piloted by Dean Thompson, who is set to join Haas Factory Team next season. SHR’s full driver lineup of its current two-car operation along with partnerships and team details will be revealed at a later date.
“Today marks one of the most fulfilling announcements I’ve had the pleasure of making since founding SHR,” Sam Hunt, Owner and President of Sam Hunt Racing, said. “Sheldon fits every category I look for in a driver that can build a scrappy race team into its future; talent, experience, personality, and most importantly – who he is as a human. He’s a racer in the purest form, a winner, and a rockstar husband, father, and friend.”
With Creed set to depart Haas Factory Team at the conclusion of this season, the organization released a statement to commend Creed’s contributions and focus towards contending for the championship before determining its driver lineup for 2027.
With his plans for next season set, Sheldon Creed’s 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season resumes on Saturday, October 3, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Focused Health 302. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.
