Sheldon Creed, Sam Mayer among NASCAR Playoff drivers involved in early 'big one' at Talladega

Multiple playoff drivers involved in a massive wreck early on in the Talladega Xfinity Series race. Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer, among them. That trioval is tricky and gets the best of drivers so many times. The NASCAR Playoffs have completely changed.

About 10 cars were involved in this one officially, but it felt like so many more. Sheldon Creed’s car was destroyed. Sam Mayer took a big hit and has damage. Brandon Jones has damage now, but appears to be able to continue.

This was a violent hit for Creed and for Ryan Sieg, too. Hoping that everyone is released from the infield care center after being looked at and given the okay.

The NASCAR Playoff picture has completely changed now. Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer might be moving on to Martinsville already. Who will take advantage of the situation?

There's trouble in the trioval!

Multiple playoff drivers are collected. pic.twitter.com/W38eMIl3I9

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) October 18, 2025

A red flag was issued on the track after this wreck. A massive wreck takes a massive clean up effort. Safety crews and track workers are getting things cleared up so we can go racing again.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series made it further than the Truck Series before the first wreck. But we still couldn’t get out of Stage 1 without a multi-car wreck.

Sheldon Creed has been part of some aboslutely violent hits in the last two seasons. This was another moment where Creed found himself in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Once Brandon Jones got turned in the trioval, chaos was going to break out. That’s exactly what happened.

With a bunch of wrecked cars and only one more chance to win a race to make Phoenix after today, options are running out. Sheldon Creed at least knows what he has to do next week.

Sheldon Creed, Sam Mayer both wrecked at Talladega

If you are Haas Factory Team, this is the worst result. You still have both drivers in the Round of 8, there is a great chance you get one of them to the Championship 4. Now, it has essentially given JR Motorsports a possible monopoly in Phoenix.

Sam Mayer is more than capable of winning at Martinsville. I do think that Sheldon Creed can win that race as well, but he has to overcome his apparent runner-up curse. But Creed has seen that finish line coming out of Turn 4 at Martinsville before; he just hasn’t been the first to cross it yet.

Today, the race is more or less over for Haas. Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer are going to have to focus on what they are going to do next week. Let’s see who rises to the occasion now that we have had such a catastrophic wreck.