Sheldon Creed Moves to Third in O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Standings with Fifth-Place Run at Iowa.

NEWTON, IA (August 8, 2026) – Sheldon Creed continued his strong run toward the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase with a fifth-place finish at Iowa Speedway, leading 36 laps and securing his ninth top-five result of the season. Sam Mayer battled from 23rd to contend for a third consecutive Iowa O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win before contact on the first overtime restart resulted in a 21st-place finish.

00 Sheldon Creed

After clinching a spot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase two weekends ago, Sheldon Creed rolled off sixth at Iowa Speedway. He quickly settled into fifth while battling Carson Kvapil, before moving into the top three following a strong restart after a caution on lap 27. The No. 00 Road Ranger Chevrolet held position through the end of Stage One as Creed earned eight stage points.

Winning the race off pit road, Creed took the Stage Two green from the lead and quickly opened a gap before a long battle with Justin Allgaier. Creed held off the No. 7 through lap 102, leading 36 laps in his No. 00 Road Ranger Chevrolet before crossing the line in second and collecting another nine stage points.

A minor rear adjustment under the stage caution put Creed in second for the final stage, where he maintained his position through the opening laps. A caution on lap 150 closed the gap to Allgaier, and Creed stayed out before another yellow allowed him to make his final pit stop with enough fuel to reach the finish. A string of cautions shuffled Creed between throughout the top five before the race finally settled into a green-flag run, moving the No. 00 Road Ranger Chevrolet back into fourth. A late caution with five laps remaining set up overtime, and Creed held firm through both restarts to secure his ninth top-five finish of the season and gain a spot in the O’Reilly Auto Parts standings.

41 Sam Mayer

Entering the weekend as the defending O’Reilly Auto Parts Series winner at Iowa, Sam Mayer looked to make it three straight victories at the 0.875-mile track on Saturday. Mayer quickly moved into the top 15 after starting 23rd and reached 11th before a caution on lap 27 slowed his charge. A strong restart allowed him to grab five more positions, and Mayer finished Stage One sixth, gaining a race-high 17 spots in his No. 41 Starkey Chevrolet in the opening 60 laps.

Mayer made another strong move on the inside into Turn One on the opening lap of Stage Two, advancing to fourth in his No. 41 Starkey Chevrolet. A caution on lap 76 bunched the field back up, but Mayer remained near the front and crossed the line fifth at the end of the stage, earning another seven points to strengthen his position above the Chase cutline.

Starting fourth to begin the final stage, Mayer moved into second through pit strategy before a lap 182 caution forced him to pit and restart 23rd. Fresh tires on the No. 41 Starkey Chevrolet helped him charge back through the field, reaching 10th by lap 245 and putting himself in position for a strong finish. However, contact on the first overtime restart sent Mayer back through the field, resulting in a 21st-place finish.

Up Next: The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will take the next two weekends off before heading to Daytona International Speedway for the regular-season finale on Friday, August 28th, 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.