For Sheldon Creed, the ghosts of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) loomed large under the lights at the Daytona Xfinity Series opener. His highly anticipated debut with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) at Daytona was a rollercoaster, showcasing talent but ultimately ending in a second-place finish, behind his former Richard Childress Racing teammate, Austin Hill. This Daytona drama reignites the embers of last year’s Martinsville controversy, where Creed’s aggressive move cost both drivers a shot at the championship, resulting in a public fallout, and ultimately a contract termination for Creed.

Last year’s fiasco remains etched in NASCAR lore: a tense championship battle, an aggressive late-race move by Creed, a devastating crash, and ultimately, two heartbroken drivers left watching the trophy from the sidelines. The public fallout was brutal, with officials within RCR and Richard Childress himself publicly chastising Creed and the media painting him as the villain.

Daytona was a Déjà vu for Sheldon Creed, Courtesy of Richard Childress Racing

In an interview with Frontstretch after the conclusion of the United Rentals 300, the debut driver of the #18 Toyota Supra for JGR acknowledged the difficulties he encountered during the race as well as his feelings after finishing second behind his former RCR teammate.

He said, “I mean it’s good right that’s three seconds in a row going back to last year so. Found some consistency which is nice just need to keep working hard and keep running smart races. I felt like we didn’t make a lot of noise tonight but like when it counted we kind of could get up through there you know sixth in stage one, third in stage two, and then able to make some stuff happen on that last restart to run second there…”

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The two-time X Games medalist for the United States elaborated on his close finish behind an ex-teammate turned rival while emphasizing the collective ambitions for the 2024 NXS season. “I really thought we had a shot at the #21 [Hill] you know had seed not spun there and I could have kept him with me um but yeah just really hard to get track position all night. There was times where like I didn’t like what I saw so I was just kind of riding and just trying to save what I had and um yeah I don’t know just a great start really… to a new team. Just gives us something good to build off of.”

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Does Creed have a chance at redemption with JGR?

In a remarkable display of skill and resilience, Austin Hill secured his seventh career Xfinity win. Overcoming setbacks, he dominated stage 2 and fended off his competitors on the final lap, making him the first Xfinity driver to secure a playoff spot for the 2024 season. The race, on the other hand, wasn’t short of drama, with a multi-car crash occurring with just eight laps remaining, leading to a final restart. The chaos set the stage for a tense finish, with Hill ultimately emerging victorious just milliseconds ahead of his former teammate.

Conversely, Creed’s second-place finish highlighted the lingering challenges he faced in adapting to his new team and overcoming the shadow of his departure from RCR. Creed’s transition from Richard Childress Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing marked a significant shift in his career trajectory. Despite his commendable consistency, with 63 starts in five years and a seventh-place finish in the 2023 Xfinity Series season, Creed now seeks to validate Joe Gibbs Racing’s decision to enlist him for the 2024 season after a winless 2023.

As he adapts to the new race car, will the 26-year-old driver find redemption and success with Joe Gibbs Racing, or will the ghosts of Martinsville continue to haunt his journey?

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