Joe Gibbs Racing driver Sheldon Creed salvaged a fourth-place finish in Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race but was clueless as to why drivers weren't able to run in the bottom lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Throughout the 250-mile Xfinity race, drivers funneled into a single lane after restarts avoiding the bottom lane, as they failed to generate momentum. Similarly, in the Truck Series race preceding the Xfinity event, drivers occupying the bottom lane lost track position and swiftly reverted to the top lane.
Sheldon Creed initially speculated that teams had fine-tuned their car setups to optimal conditions leaving less variance within the field, leading to the lack of overtaking. He added that the bottom lane offered much less grip than the top lane.
Speaking to Frontstretch.com about why the bottom lane didn't work, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver said:
"I don't know, the package hasn't changed, everyone's getting better at how to set up for this. The track wore out a little bit but I don't know..."
Creed didn't enjoy racing in the single file, describing the racing spectacle as "lame".
"I don't know why it just didn't race good, maybe with the grip level being down a little bit, maybe it just bogged it down too much on the bottom. It was lame, and it wasn't fun at all to race right there," he said.
Sheldon Creed also lamented the lack of support and horsepower to generate runs and overtake his competitors.
"The racing was really bad, to be honest. We were all funneling to the top and you can't make a move by yourself, just no horsepower," he was quoted as saying by Speedway Digest.
Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love dominated the event while his teammate Austin Hill took the victory in the overtime finish, which unfolded into a fuel-milage race. Even the dominant RCR Chevies were unable to run in the bottom lane and led the pack from the top lane.
Sheldon Creed "worried" about racing with the same package at Indianapolis
Sheldon Creed also voiced concerns about dull racing events at tracks like Michigan International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, if the same package was carried over from Atlanta Motor Speedway.
"I'm worried that we are going to Michigan and Indy like this too with the package," he told Frontstretch. If it's gonna be like that we are just in a line and you can't pass unless someone goes with you. That's boring and not good racing in my opinion, but, I don't make the rules."
The Xfinity Series returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20 later this year, with Michigan International Speedway hosting the next event a month later on August 17.