Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer have both signed multi-year agreements with Haas Factory Team to drive in the NASCAR Xfinity Series starting in 2025.
Creed will drive the No. 00 Ford Mustang in his fourth season of Xfinity Series competition, moving over from Joe Gibbs Racing.
“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,” Creed said. “I want to win in the Xfinity Series. 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 I can succeed, and where Sam and I can work together to win races and be championship contenders.”
Mayer will drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang. The organization chose to use the No. 41 over the No. 98 to align its program better. Custer, returning to the Cup Series next season to drive for the organization, will be in the No. 41 Ford Mustang in that series.
Next season will be Mayer’s fifth in the series. He has six career wins and will join Haas Factory Team from JR Motorsports.
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“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 the 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.”
Creed and Mayer fill the voids of Custer, the reigning series champion, and Riley Herbst. Although Custer’s future is set, the plans for Herbst next season have not yet been announced.
Haas Factory Team will be the organization’s rebranded effort born from the outgoing Stewart-Haas Racing team. Gene Haas and Tony Stewart announced in a joint statement in May they were shuttering the organization. However, Haas later reversed course and kept one charter to field a Cup Series car and is keeping both Xfinity Series entries.
“We’ve developed a strong and consistent Xfinity Series program at Stewart-Haas that wins races and championships,” team president Joe Custer said. “In 2025 that program will operate as Haas Factory Team. The name is changing, but our commitment to winning remains the same.
“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 [Xfinity Series titles]. 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.”