NASCAR has always been about its iconic ovals and superspeedways. But as the sport is trying to go global, that effect is also seen in the drivers of today.
One Truck champion isn’t afraid to think beyond the borders, even if it means sacrificing a piece of history for it.

Truck champ chooses road course over superspeedways

In a recent interview with Barstool Racing, Sheldon Creed, the 2020 Truck Series champion, was asked about his choices regarding a track he wanted to remove from the calendar and add one in its place. While most of the drivers stick to America, Creed went a step ahead.

“I think if I could add one anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world. Maybe like Red Bull Ring or Abu Dhabi,” said Creed, as he picked the renowned F1 tracks in Austria and the United Arab Emirates. “Road course or something. Out of the box that we haven’t done. I would take Fontana back any day of the week.”

As Creed set his eyes on Red Bull Ring, Max Verstappen’s home track, he is ready to trade it with the sport’s tradition:

“But then if I’m going to take one away, I’m going to take away one of the super speedways because we do six now a year.”

For Creed, six is too many, and he’s not against them. Adding a road course instead brings more variety to the calendar and is more dependent on driver control. However, he did pick one to eliminate.

“I don’t have a track that I hate. Maybe Portland. Problem with Portland is the fans are actually great,” Creed stated.

Creed spoke about Portland International Raceway, a track known for its open-wheel racing and close-quarter finishes. Over the years, the PIR hosts ARCA Menards, IndyCar, Formula E, NASCAR Xfinity, and Truck Series races.

With that said, Creed is now unlikely to have an issue with any kind of track, given he just broke the deadlock and claimed the first-ever O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win of his career.

Sheldon Creed created history for himself and HFT after Atlanta win

Creed’s win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Atlanta last week was not just his first, but also his team Haas Factory’s second win in the series.

“I’ve been a loser the last couple of years, and I kept showing up,” Creed told The CW Sports, after the victory. “It’s not how you draw it up when you’re a Truck Champion.”

Creed, the Truck Series champion, has finished as a runner-up in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 15 times before succeeding at the EchoPark Speedway. He denied Parker Retzlaff and Nicholas Sanchez to win the 163-lap race.