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NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has come out in support of Sheldon Creed following the Xfinity Series race in Martinsville.
Creed, in what was one of his final races with Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series, found himself on the brink of elimination heading into Martinsville. He was ultimately eliminated as well, but his collision with RCR teammate Austin Hill was the focal point of the weekend.
The crash had significant repercussions, especially for Hill. The 29-year-old, who won the regular season, narrowly missed out on securing a spot in the Championship 4 field. The incident thus dashed hopes of either RCR driver competing in the Xfinity Series finale.
The fallout from the incident was severe as well.
RCR's VP, Andy Petree, was visibly incensed and engaged in a heated exchange with Creed immediately after the race. Richard Childress himself did not mince words, labeling Creed "the most stupid driver he's ever had."
However Dale Earnhardt Jr. lended his support to Sheldon Creed on the Dale Jr. Download podcast. Speaking about last weekend's incident at the Martinsville Speedway, he stated:
"I just don’t see anything wrong with what Sheldon Creed did."
Earnhardt Jr. went on to dissect the pivotal moment in the Xfinity Series race. He emphasized that Creed's positioning in the middle of the corner left him with limited options for a smooth exit.
"Looking at what was deemed or considered a break check by some people in (turns) 3 and 4, I don’t think it was. I think that he got ran into. His position in the middle of that corner was not a good one to be able to get on throttle and exit out of there," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.
Dale Earnhardt Jr believes Sheldon Creed's collision wasn't intentional
The 49-year-old went on to explain the collision as well, saying:
"He had to stop the car to get it to rotate to get the front to turn and be able to then throttle up out of the corner. As he’s braking, the #21 is throttling up, and it didn’t take a whole lot to knock the dang radiator out of that #21 car."
Dale Earnhardt Jr. emphasized that while the impact was forceful, it was not of intentional malice. He stated that the radiator damage was not an uncommon occurrence in a NASCAR race, adding:
"It’s easy to knock the damn radiator out of a car in Martinsville. I don’t think it was intentional."
Sheldon Creed will be back in action this weekend in Phoenix as he prepares for his final showdown as a Richard Childress Racing driver.
