#18: Sheldon Creed, Joe Gibbs Racing, Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota Supra

Sheldon Creed / No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra Preview – HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway

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No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra News and Notes: 

  • CREED AT IOWA: As NASCAR welcomes Iowa back onto the schedule, Sheldon Creed will be making his first Xfinity Series start at the Newton, Iowa short track. That said, Creed is no stranger to Iowa, as the 25-year-old driver took a trip to victory lane at the track back in 2018 during his ARCA Menards Series championship run. In addition to the win, Creed also has two top-fives and 92 laps led in two AMS starts.
  • SONOMA RECAP: Sheldon Creed had his most complete race of the season this past weekend in Sonoma. Creed started his day in ninth, but his time in the top-10 came to an abrupt stop when both rear tires began to blister on lap 15. The unscheduled pit stop sent Creed to the back of the field but returned him to sixth once the rest of the field cycled through their scheduled pit stops. Having regained track position Creed flexed his muscle as one of the fastest cars on track. Creed scored a fourth-place finish in Stage Two, and even after some attrition at the start of the final stage, Creed used the long green flag run to his advantage as he worked his way to a second-place finish, tying his best run of the year (Daytona).
  • STUCK ON SILVER: Creed’s second-place finish at Sonoma marked his ninth career second-place finish in the Xfinity Series. Not only does that place Creed one runner-up result from tying Daniel Hemric and Dale Jarrett for most second-place finishes without a win, but it also means that 56% (9/16) of his career top-fives have been second-place results.
  • TALE OF TWO SEASONS: Despite some disappointing results this year, Sheldon Creed’s worst finish when not inhibited by penalties or mechanical failures is ninth. With a loose wheel in Las Vegas, an alternator failure in Circuit of the Americas, brake rotor issues in Richmond and Charlotte, a pit road safety violation in Texas, and a restart violation in Portland, Creed’s speed has been overshadowed by mishaps and bad fortune. Even in races like Phoenix (sent to the back for unapproved repairs) and Talladega (involved in late-race caution), Creed has found a way to rebound and rally the team to strong finishes. That said, the silver lining is bright as in the races without adversity, he has scored five top-fives and eight top-10s, thus displaying what the team is capable of when performing at their full potential.
  • FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION: Founded in 2005, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers while raising awareness for said diseases. The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for children and their families battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers by pairing them with local teams, clubs, and community groups. FOJ has currently made over 1000 adoptions and their mission is to continue to raise awareness through our Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines, and Guardian Angel Programs.
  • ON THE PITBOX: Crew chief Sam McAulay will lead the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra crew this season. Despite his rookie status, McAulay is an established mind at JGR as he joined the organization in 2007 and worked his way up the ranks from intern to lead race engineer for the No. 11 Cup Series entry of Denny Hamlin. Since the start of his tenure on the No. 11 in 2017, McAulay has contributed to 25 victories, including three Daytona 500 wins and a Coke 600 win as a crew chief when he filled-in for the suspended Chris Gabehart in 2022.
  • JGR AT IOWA: Joe Gibbs Racing has seven Xfinity Series wins at Iowa Speedway. In 58 combined starts at the .875-mile track, the organization has tallied 23 top-five finishes, 36 top-10s, eight pole awards, and 1,948 laps led. Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, Sam Hornish, Jr., Erik Jones, and Christopher Bell have all driven JGR cars to victory lane.
  • FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Creed’s 2024 season. 

X: @sheldoncreed I Facebook: Sheldon Creed I Instagram: @Sheldoncreed I Website: sheldoncreedracing.com I YouTube: Sheldon Creed

  • RACE INFO: The HyVee Perks 250 is scheduled for 3:30 PM EST on Saturday, June 15. Coverage of the race will be on USA Network, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio and available to stream on the FOX Sports app.

Sheldon Creed, Driver of the No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra: 

“Iowa is a track you’ve done really well at when you raced here in ARCA. Does that help with your confidence going into this weekend?

“Anytime you’re familiar with a track and have success there it helps to an extent, but we’re viewing this weekend as if we’re all going in fresh. The new pavement is going to play a huge role in dictating who has speed and who doesn’t. For all we know, it could race like a completely different track compared to what I raced on six or seven years ago. I think mentally I feel good going into this weekend, but the approach is still to learn and find speed as much as possible throughout the weekend.”

JGR PR

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