Sheldon Creed, O'Reilly Series Point Leader, Changing Teams In 2027

Sheldon Creed leads the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship standings after winning two of the three races to kick off the Chase for the Championship. However, the driver is set to depart the Haas Factory Team at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Creed, who has driven for Haas Factory Team in each of the last two seasons, will move to Sam Hunt Racing and Toyota Racing in 2027, Creed and SHR revealed in a press conference at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday.

Creed, who has signed a multi-year contract with Sam Hunt Racing, will pilot the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra for the team next season.

Sam Hunt, a former racer turned NASCAR team owner, holds Creed in high regard.

“Today marks one of the most fulfilling announcements I've had the pleasure of making since founding SHR,” said Hunt, Owner and President of Sam Hunt Racing. “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.”

Kris Bowen is set to return as the crew chief for the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing team next season, and will be paired with Creed.

The driver is excited to get to work with his new team once the 2026 championship fight is over.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Sam Hunt Racing in 2027 and to chase trophies alongside Kris Bowen as my crew chief. 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,” said Creed. “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.”

The 29-year-old racer has had a breakout season this year in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, a campaign that has included the first three victories of his O'Reilly Series career.

Following the announcement, Haas Factory Team issued a statement regarding Creed's departure:

"Sheldon Creed and HFT will part ways at the end of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts season. The team thanks Sheldon for the dedication he has showed throughout his time with HFT and his 3 wins for the organization. The No. 00 team remains focused on wins and the 2026 championship," the team said.

Creed broke through for his first career win at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) in the second race of the season. Creed then won at Darlington Raceway, the opening race of the Chase, and then followed that up with a victory at Bristol a couple of weeks ago.

In all, Creed has secured three wins, 12 top-five finishes, and 19 top-10s with six races remaining in the 2026 season.

Creed went winless over the first 137 races of his NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career, but despite being shut out of Victory Lane for four full-time campaigns, the driver hovered tantalizingly close to his maiden victory.

Before securing his first career win at EchoPark Speedway in February, Creed had finished second an astonishing 15 times. This allowed Creed to make history as the driver with most runner-up finishes before collecting a first win in series history, which dates back to 1982.

Now, after taking a massive step forward this season, he's on the move to Sam Hunt Racing, a team that has had periodic flashes of good runs in its existence, but has yet to prove to be a team capable of winning a championship thus far. Is Creed the missing ingrediant that Sam Hunt Racing needs to be a top-tier team in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series? That'll be a storyline to keep an eye on next season for sure.

And if Creed isn't the missing ingredient, will Creed, who has seen his trajectory in the sport point upward this season, fall backward? That remains to be seen, but Saturday's announcement is a major gamble for Creed, who finds himself in a championship-winning situation in 2026 with Haas Factory Team.

What's Does This Mean For Haas Factory Team?

For Haas Factory Team, this offseason will be a pivotal one filled with change. In addition to Creed leaving the organization, Sam Mayer previously announced his departure from the No. 41 Chevrolet at the end of the season.

Dean Thompson, who has piloted the No. 26 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing over the last couple of seasons, will move to Haas Factory Team next season. At the time of Thompson's announcement, Haas Factory Team revealed it would expand to three full-time entries in 2027. Now, Haas Factory Team has two more seats to fill.

"Announcements regarding the 2027 HFT driver lineup are TBD at this time," Haas Factory Team said in a statement on Saturday.

*This story will be updated.

Add us as a preferred source on Google