Haas Factory Team shines in Xfinity Series debut
Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed finished inside the Top-5 Saturday as the new drivers for Haas Factory Team in the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Daytona International Speedway.
The team, restructured from the defunct Stewart-Haas Racing, saw Mayer and Creed finish second and third respectively in the United Rentals 300.
Creed started sixth and led on three occasions for seven laps. The 27-year-old driver finished inside the Top-10 in the first two stages (second in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2).
“Just happy with another good start to a season and ready to get through Atlanta and get to real racetracks,” Creed said post race.
Creed, who picked up 17 stage points in the race, leaves Daytona as the series points leader (51 points). Creed is still looking for his first series win.
Mayer, a seven-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, picked up his sixth career runner-up finish and tied his best finish at a superspeedway track (Talladega Oct. 2022).
The 21-year-old driver started eighth but didn’t pick up any stage points.
“Huge props to this team,” Mayer said post race. “This Audibel Ford Mustang was really, really fast today. I am super proud to be up at the front with these guys, especially with a new team like this.”
Mayer is fifth in overall points (35 points).
The next race for the series is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.