BROOKLYN, Mich: NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will both have new homes in 2025, as Haas Factory Team (HFT) officially confirmed Saturday morning at Michigan International Speedway.
The two will join the newly renamed organization in February 2025, with the season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Creed, the pole sitter for Saturday afternoon’s Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway, will drive the team’s No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse,
Mayer, a two-time Xfinity Series winner this season, will pilot the newly numbed No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Haas Factory Team has elected to use the No. 41 in the Xfinity Series in place of the No. 98 that it is inheriting from Stewart-Haas Racing to better align with its overall program.
In July, Haas Factory Team announced that it would use the No. 41 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Cole Custer.
“We’ve developed a strong and consistent Xfinity Series program at Stewart-Haas that wins races and championships. In 2025, that program will operate as Haas Factory Team. The name is changing, but our commitment to winning remains the same,” said Joe Custer, president, Haas Factory Team.
“Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer have won championships on their way to the Xfinity Series and they’re both hungry to win races and compete for an Xfinity Series title. They bring significant experience and a shared desire to win. Having them a part of Haas Factory Team allows us to operate at a high level and collect trophies.”
Creed’s jump to Haas Factory Team will be his third different Xfinity Series organization in three years. After winning eight races and the 2020 Craftsman truck title with GMS Racing, Creed moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2022. This season, the 26-year-old Alpine, Calif., native joined Joe Gibbs Racing.
While still seeking his first Xfinity Series victory, Creed has earned 10 second-place finishes, most recently at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon on June 22. He qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs last year and finished seventh in the championship.
“I’ve won in every division I’ve raced in and I feel like I’ve earned my place in the Xfinity Series, but that’s not enough. I want to win in the Xfinity Series,” said Creed, who owns 41 Xfinity career top-10 finishes.
“I watched what Cole Custer did last year on his way to the Xfinity Series championship and when I talked with him about the setup of the organization, everything he said resonated with me. I feel like Haas Factory Team is a place where I can succeed, and where Sam and I can work together to win races and be championship contenders.”
Since 2021, Mayer has spent the entirety of his Xfinity career with JR Motorsports. The 21-year-old from Franklin, Wisc., had been possibly linked to a Cup Series opportunity with Front Row Motorsports next season. Instead, Mayer will move to the smaller, two-car restructured Haas Factory Team in pursuit of an Xfinity Series championship.
The six-time Xfinity Series race winner advanced to the Championship 4 in 2023. He’s currently 12th in the Xfinity Playoff standings with wins at Texas Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway.
Mayer scored back-to-back ARCA Menards Series East championships in 2019-2020 before joining JRM with an 18-race schedule in 2021.
“The Xfinity Series is a really great place to learn and grow and get yourself ready for the NASCAR Cup Series,” Mayer said. “Cup is my ultimate goal, and to really push myself to become the kind of driver who can succeed in Cup, I needed to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and hone my race skills so that when that Cup moment comes, I’m ready.
“The Haas team got Cole Custer ready for his moment and it’s a place that will help get me and Sheldon ready for our moments.”
In 2024, Mayer and Creed have thirteen races remaining, and each is focused on the NASCAR Playoffs.
Mayer is already locked into the 12-driver, seven-race title chase via his two victories this year – April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and June 15 at Iowa Speedway in Newton.
Creed has a 69-point cushion over the top-12 cutoff with six regular-season races still remaining before the playoffs begin Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
