As the NASCAR Xfinity Series enters the second of three Round of 8 races, Sheldon Creed will be looking to make a move.
Ranked No. 6 in the playoff standings, Creed, the 2020 Truck Series champion and perennial second-place finisher at his current level, sits 21 points behind No. 4-ranked Sam Mayer after finishing P11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Saturday.
In his six previous starts at Talladega Speedway, the site of Saturday’s United Rentals 250, Creed posted two top-five finishes and led 23 laps.
To advance to the Championship 4 race, Creed must do something he hasn’t done in 133 Xfinity outings, visit Victory Lane. He has been the runner-up 15 times.
To do so, Creed said the No. 00 Ford team needs to get the pre-race setup on point.
“We’ll be pretty good in practice and then we start the race like 10 out of 10 loose, so that was challenging at the start,” Creed said via Ford Racing PR. “We definately need to look into our adjustments.”
Connor Zilisch (-170), who earned the regular-season championship, remains the sports-betting favorite to capture the series championship, according to BetOnline Sportsbook.
Creed received +2800 odds.
Sheldon Creed with issues #nascar #live #trending #XfinitySeries pic.twitter.com/ieyYiNBIXp
— Charlie (@reallamecharlie) October 12, 2025
Sam Mayer’s Championship Quest Remains Alive
Ford driver Sam Mayer still has a chance.
The Haas Factory Team driver paces No. 5 Brandon Jones by five points above the cutoff line. Mayer earned a P9 at Las Vegas.
“Even though it wasn’t the best, we still made it better, but there’s always room for improvement,” Mayer said via Ford Racing PR.
The winner at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 2, Mayer qualified for the Championship 4 race in 2023, placing third in the final standings. Last season he placed ninth overall.
Mayer collected eight career wins since joining the circuit in 2021. He also has a Truck Series title to his credit.
Can he catch up to Heim?
“Absolutely,” he said.
Sam Mayer secured top-10 finishes in all stages at Las Vegas, strengthening his playoff position, while Sheldon Creed rebounded from early handling issues to finish 11th. 🎲@sam_mayer_ X @Audibel_Hear @sheldoncreed X @OlliesOutlet pic.twitter.com/3FSx5Wrmsb
— Haas Factory Team (@HaasFactoryTeam) October 13, 2025
2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Odds
Here is a look at the drivers’ odds for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers’ championship, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Corey Heim | -170 |
| Justin Allgaier | +275 |
| Sam Mayer | +800 |
| Jesse Love | +1000 |
| Brandon Jones | +1600 |
| Sheldon Creed | +2800 |
| Carson Kvapil | +2800 |
| Sammy Smith | +3300 |
*-Odds current at time of publication
