Getty Sheldon Creed will make his 2021 Xfinity Series debut at Phoenix.
Sheldon Creed is capping off his 2021 schedule with a packed weekend at Phoenix Raceway. The 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion will finish out his schedule with GMS Racing on Friday, November 5, and then he will make his 2021 Xfinity Series debut on Saturday, November 6.
Global Industrial, a national distributor of industrial products and MRO supplies, issued a press release on Wednesday, November 3, and announced that Creed will drive the No. 78 Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro at the one-mile track. This race will be Creed’s first start since the 2019 season when he made one start for JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway.
Start your engines! We’re partnering with @NASCAR Champion @SheldonCreed in the @NASCARXfinity Series Championship Race this Saturday. Tune in at 8:30pm to watch on @NBCSN #wecansupplythat #globalindustrial #xfinityseries #globalindustrialracing
“I’m looking forward to racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Phoenix Raceway, especially with Global Industrial Company on board my Chevrolet,” Creed said in a press release. “I’ve had a lot of success at Phoenix Raceway over the years, including winning in the Truck Series at the track in 2020, so I am hoping to bring some of that same success to Global Industrial this November 6th and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
The race at Phoenix will take place on Saturday, November 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Creed will reacclimate himself to the Xfinity Series while Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, and Daniel Hemric compete for the championship trophy. NBC Sports Network will provide coverage for the 200-lap event.
Creed Will Move Full-Time to the Xfinity Series in 2022
The race at Phoenix will provide Creed with an opportunity to prepare for a major move in 2022. He will depart the Camping World Truck Series and move up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series on a full-time basis.
Creed will join Richard Childress Racing and will control the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro with Whelen Engineering as his primary sponsor for all 33 races. The company will cover the stock car with a red and white scheme as Creed pursues wins and playoff points.
Additionally, Creed will have a former competitor as his teammate as he moves up to the Xfinity Series. Austin Hill will leave Hattori Racing Enterprises and move with Creed to Richard Childress Racing. RCR has not provided any updates about Hill’s vehicle number or sponsors for the 2022 season, but there will be more announcements in the future.
“Austin Hill has established himself as a very competitive racer within the NASCAR Truck Series and we know that he is ready for a fulltime opportunity in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR, in a press release. “Austin is a talented young driver and I feel confident that he will help contribute to wins at RCR.”
Creed Will Have Extra Time To Prepare for the Start
Practice and qualifying are BACK for the @NASCAR championship weekend.
Tune-in times and network info for @NASCAR_Xfinity and Cup are here. #Championship4
Returning to the Xfinity Series for the first time since 2019 will not be a simple task, but Creed will have extra time to prepare. Practice and qualifying sessions will both return for the finale weekend at Phoenix.
Creed will first hit the track in the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro on Friday, November 6, at 6 p.m. ET. NBC TrackPass will provide coverage as the drivers make laps around the one-mile track and test out the various setups. He will then return on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET for qualifying. He will have one opportunity to secure the best possible spot in the starting order.
The return of qualifying is key considering that Creed would have started at the rear of the field if NASCAR simply set the starting order based on the last race on the schedule. Instead, he will have the opportunity to use a fast stock car to take a spot near the middle or even front of the pack before the green flag waves.
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