NASCAR: Reigning champion gets well-deserved promotion

Richard Childress Racing recently announced that Sheldon Creed will drive for the team full-time in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. With a promotion in Creed’s sights, how will it pan out?

Sheldon Creed’s journey in NASCAR took a leap when Richard Childress Racing announced that he would become the newest addition to the Welcome, North Carolina-based team for the 2022 Xfinity Series season.

The 2020 Truck Series champion is set for a promotion that will allow him to chase another championship in the Xfinity Series, as he is slated to compete full-time.

https://twitter.com/RCRracing/status/1437779037963837449

Richard Childress Racing team owner Richard Childress discussed the decision to help elevate his own organization and to help the current GMS Racing driver take the next step in his NASCAR career.

"“Sheldon has proved himself as a talented driver during his short NASCAR Career and we know that he will help contribute to RCR’s competitive NASCAR Xfinity Series program with his drive to succeed.”"

With Creed progressing his NASCAR career to the next level, how will he fare with Richard Childress Racing?

The 23-year-old told Frontstretch that he doesn’t want to be a “Truck Series lifer”, and now he has gotten that wish. Creed is set to join a solid team in the Xfinity Series that has fielded multiple champions, most recently Tyler Reddick in 2019.

Last year, they ran a full-time car, but with multiple drivers. This year, Myatt Snider competes full-time for the team. He won at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but that win came after JR Motorsports’ Noah Gragson was involved in an incident with lap traffic while leading the race with only a few laps to go.

In addition to the 2020 title, Creed has eight wins, 22 top five finishes and 35 top 10 finishes in the Truck Series, and he is competing for another title in 2021. He has already won three races this year, and he leads the championship standings after punching his ticket to the round of 8 with round of 10 wins at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and Darlington Raceway.

Creed should be able to breathe life into the Richard Childress Racing Xfinity Series program, and with his current team in GMS Racing set to compete in the Cup Series next year, he can possibly use this platform as an audition for one-off races with GMS Racing’s Cup Series program.

This already feels as a win-win scenario: Richard Childress Racing get a proven winner and Creed gets to elevate his NASCAR career.

Creed is the second champion from 2020 to receive a promotion for 2022, as 2020 Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric is set to drive for the Team Penske Cup Series team next year.