Haas Factory Team News
Creed Earns Fifth Straight Top-10 Finish in O’Reilly Series at Rockingham Speedway. Mayer Deals With Engine Issues on Saturday Afternoon.
By Haas Factory Team
ROCKINGHAM, NC (April 4, 2026) – Sheldon Creed continued his strong of strong runs with his fifth straight top-10 finish in the O’Reilly Series at Rockingham Speedway, while Sam Mayer’s team showed resiliency despite battling engine issues throughout the 250-lap race.
Sheldon Creed opened the weekend at Rockingham Speedway with another top-10 qualifying effort, lining up ninth for the start. At the drop of the green flag, Creed worked alongside Sam Mayer as the Haas Factory Team teammates settled into eighth and ninth. The No. 00 Ollie’s Chevrolet held strong through the opening run, fending off Brent Crews late in Stage One. After pitting under the lap 49 caution, Creed restarted 15th on fresh tires but was unable to find clear track in the closing laps, finishing Stage One in 16th.
A strong stop during the stage break moved Creed up to 13th to begin Stage Two, and he quickly found speed. A lap 94 caution provided another opportunity for the No. 00 team to gain ground on pit road, and Creed capitalized on the restart, powering past Harrison Burton and Carson Kvapil to jump into the top 10. He then held off a hard charge from Jeremy Clements to secure an eighth-place stage finish, collecting two crucial stage points.Starting the final stage in 11th, Creed methodically worked his way forward, making passes on Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg to re-enter the top 10 before a series of late cautions bunched up the field. Creed surged as high as third after passing Brandon Jones while holding off challenges from Justin Allgaier and Kvapil. A late-race restart shuffled him back to fourth, and Creed ultimately crossed the line sixth — marking his fifth consecutive top-10 finish to open the 2026 campaign.
Sam Mayer opened his weekend at Rockingham Speedway with a strong seventh-place qualifying effort and carried that momentum into the opening laps. Mayer worked in tandem with Sheldon Creed to clear Brandon Jones on the front stretch, settling into the top 10 and showcasing promising speed in the No. 41 Audibel Chevrolet early in the race.
However, an engine issue surfaced during the opening run, forcing the team to assess the car under the lap-49 caution and make additional repairs during the Stage One break. Mayer returned to the track two laps down but continued to post competitive lap times with the lead pack, despite being out of contention for stage points.The team made a lengthy green-flag stop near lap 95 to replace the ignition box in an effort to resolve the problem, dropping Mayer 15 laps down. Although he returned to action and continued to push forward, the engine troubles ultimately forced an early retirement and a 38th-place finish.
The NASCAR O’Reilly Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday, April 11th, with race coverage on the CW set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. New in 2026, Haas Factory will align with Chevrolet. As part of the manufacturer switch, HFT will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which will include using Hendrick-built engines across both series. The team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Chevrolet Camaros, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.
- 00 Sheldon Creed
Sheldon Creed opened the weekend at Rockingham Speedway with another top-10 qualifying effort, lining up ninth for the start. At the drop of the green flag, Creed worked alongside Sam Mayer as the Haas Factory Team teammates settled into eighth and ninth. The No. 00 Ollie’s Chevrolet held strong through the opening run, fending off Brent Crews late in Stage One. After pitting under the lap 49 caution, Creed restarted 15th on fresh tires but was unable to find clear track in the closing laps, finishing Stage One in 16th.
A strong stop during the stage break moved Creed up to 13th to begin Stage Two, and he quickly found speed. A lap 94 caution provided another opportunity for the No. 00 team to gain ground on pit road, and Creed capitalized on the restart, powering past Harrison Burton and Carson Kvapil to jump into the top 10. He then held off a hard charge from Jeremy Clements to secure an eighth-place stage finish, collecting two crucial stage points.Starting the final stage in 11th, Creed methodically worked his way forward, making passes on Sammy Smith and Ryan Sieg to re-enter the top 10 before a series of late cautions bunched up the field. Creed surged as high as third after passing Brandon Jones while holding off challenges from Justin Allgaier and Kvapil. A late-race restart shuffled him back to fourth, and Creed ultimately crossed the line sixth — marking his fifth consecutive top-10 finish to open the 2026 campaign.
- 41 Sam Mayer
Sam Mayer opened his weekend at Rockingham Speedway with a strong seventh-place qualifying effort and carried that momentum into the opening laps. Mayer worked in tandem with Sheldon Creed to clear Brandon Jones on the front stretch, settling into the top 10 and showcasing promising speed in the No. 41 Audibel Chevrolet early in the race.
However, an engine issue surfaced during the opening run, forcing the team to assess the car under the lap-49 caution and make additional repairs during the Stage One break. Mayer returned to the track two laps down but continued to post competitive lap times with the lead pack, despite being out of contention for stage points.The team made a lengthy green-flag stop near lap 95 to replace the ignition box in an effort to resolve the problem, dropping Mayer 15 laps down. Although he returned to action and continued to push forward, the engine troubles ultimately forced an early retirement and a 38th-place finish.
- Up Next
The NASCAR O’Reilly Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday, April 11th, with race coverage on the CW set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
- About Haas Factory Team:
Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. New in 2026, Haas Factory will align with Chevrolet. As part of the manufacturer switch, HFT will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which will include using Hendrick-built engines across both series. The team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Chevrolet Camaros, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.