NASCAR Rumor: RCR’s Rejected Project Fails to Impress Again With Exit From Top Xfinity Team Imminent

Three years, three NASCAR teams. Is this what Sheldon Creed is slated for?

If NASCAR insider Lee Spencer has to be believed, the possibility is there. This year was supposed to be Creed’s redemption season, after the ugly fallout with Richard Childress Racing last year. But Despite winning the ARCA Racing Series championship in 2018, with four wins and 18 top-10 finishes in 20 starts, Joe Gibbs’ Xfinity Series driver continues to struggle in 2024 as well. After a two-year winless run with RCR, he managed only three second-place finishes with JGR this year as the first Xfinity Series win continues to elude him.

So does that call for a change again? While a concrete answer to this has yet to emerge, a NASCAR expert, who had previously supported Creed’s shift to JGR can no longer vouch for one more change.

In his latest YouTube video, Eric Estepp mentioned journalist Lee Spencer’s comments about Creed’s transition. And according to that, this time he is considering the Haas Factory Team for it. “It would not surprise me to see Ryan Preece in one of the Haas Factory cars. Another name I heard going into the Haas Factory car yesterday was Sheldon Creed. I don’t know how solid that is, but that would be three Xfinity teams in three years,” goes Spence’s statement. Alongside, Estepp did not step back from heavily criticizing Creed.

“He’s 26 years old, right? He’s not some young, inexperienced teenager anymore. In fact, he getting beaten by the teenager who took his RCR ride in the points. I’m kind of out on Sheldon Creed. I understand he has a cult following, I think there is raw ability there, no doubt. But I’m out. I’m not buying Sheldon Creed as a top NASCAR prospect, other than he has clearly funding behind him,” Estepp stated.

Estepp even made a comparison between Ryan Preece and Creed. Preece is one of six NASCAR drivers at Stewart-Haas Racing who had to find a ride for the 2025 season. Currently, as the other three in Tier 1 have already secured places for 2025, the No. 41 driver is still searching for his next opportunity. But as Estepp pointed out, Preece has some factors working in his favor.

Preece has some support from United Rentals, who are Kevin Harvick’s Incorporated client, have Cup Series experience, and also own an Xfinity trophy. On the other hand, Sheldon Creed has yet to scrape Victory Lane over multiple seasons. The driver has himself sworn to change things this year, a vow that appears to be falling apart. This journey of misfortune reached a boiling point at Martinsville Speedway last year when Creed’s actions impacted his teammate’s race.

During the Xfinity championship race, Austin Hill led before the overtime restart and was in a position to advance. Creed, starting next to Hill in the front row, needed a win to move forward. As they raced side-by-side down the backstretch on the final lap,a contact happened. Creed pulled ahead in Turn 3 but struggled through Turn 4. Hill, unable to avoid him, hit Creed from behind, sending Hill into the wall.

As a result, Justin Allgaier seized the opportunity, edging out Creed at the finish line to win and secure his spot in the championship race. Hill’s hopes were dashed as he finished 21st, far from the position needed to advance. Cole Custer, who finished 19th, grabbed the final transfer spot, finishing seven points ahead of Hill. That particular incident left Richard Childress furious: “I’ve had drivers drive for me before, but nobody as stupid as Sheldon Creed.”

And after two winless years with RCR and just 11 top-five finishes, it was time for a change. “I felt like I was stuck,” Creed admitted about his stint with RCR. “One week, we’d be great, and the next, we’d be stuck in 15th place all day. It was so frustrating,” he had added further. So in search of fortune, he moved to JGR. Interestingly, the timing of that shift has a surprising similarity with his rumored Haas Factory move.

How concrete are the chances of Sheldon Creed joining the Haas Factory team?

After what was a dishonorable exit from RCR, Sheldon Creed pushed to prove his mettle. Besides Childress, even Austin Hill dubbed Creed’s racing strategy ‘dumb.’ So the California driver was ready for a restart, and Joe Gibbs Racing became his new home. Steve deSouza, JGR’s EVP NASCAR Xfinity Series/Development, mentioned it was not the first time the team crossed paths with Creed.

Creed had said, “I’ve said in the past that I think Gibbs cars are some of the best. I’m getting rid of that excuse now this year. Now, it’s up to me. I like that pressure, and me saying that puts pressure on myself. If I don’t do good this year and run the same, I’ll go race dirt for fun. This is a proving year to myself as well.” He added, “If I could turn this into a good year with multiple wins and a shot at the championship, then I feel like I put my name back in the conversation.”

Back then, JGR was reshuffling its Xfinity program while Creed looking to start afresh. The plan to bring the No. 18 Xfinity team back to victory lane was supposed to be a game-changer. This year, the Haas Factory team is also starting afresh on the ashes of SHR, slated to close down after this season. And Creed once again is trying to bring his career back on track. So timing looks perfect this time as well.

JGR’s plan does not seem to have worked. It’s shaping up to be a season strikingly similar to Daniel Hemric’s rollercoaster ride with Joe Gibbs Racing back in 2021, and it might see the same ending. Meanwhile, Cole Custer, who will be driving HFT’s Cup Series car, is aligned to drive the No. 41 Cup car for Haas with two openings in the Xfinity Series. Next, Hailie Deegan is also rumored to join Gene Haas, as she is without a ride after her exit from AM Racing. So the question that pops up is: Will the nascent Haas Factory team take a chance on Creed?