Fresh off clinching his fifth World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship, Brandon Sheppard is set to make a dramatic return to the Rocket Chassis house car in 2025. The New Berlin, Illinois native will rejoin the team where he captured four WoO titles between 2017-2022.

The announcement came Monday from Rocket1 owner Mark Richards, just days after Sheppard wrapped up his championship-winning season as the Longhorn Factory Team driver at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

In a related move, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who took over driving duties for Rocket1 in March following Hudson O’Neal’s departure, will transition to the Bear Lake, Pa.-based Briggs Transport Racing team. McCreadie will partner with longtime friend Boom Briggs as teammates for the 2025 season.

Collaborative Future

Both Sheppard, 31, and McCreadie, 50, will compete on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2025, maintaining close cooperation between their programs. The season kicks off January 15-18 at Golden Isles Speedway.

“The team is excited, our sponsors are excited and we know the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish,” Richards stated in a press release, noting that Rocket1 Racing is “going through another change.” All existing team sponsors are returning, with new partnerships to be announced as Sheppard begins his fourth stint with Richards’s organization.

Sheppard’s Homecoming

For Sheppard, the return to Rocket1 represents a homecoming to the team that helped establish him as a dirt late model racing superstar. He’ll continue to field his family-owned No. B5 Rocket Chassis in select events outside the Lucas Oil Series schedule.

“My history to date with Rocket1 Racing is pretty spectacular when you step back and take a look at all we’ve been able to do,” Sheppard reflected. “I’ve learned a lot the past two years and I’m more focused than ever as I look ahead to 2025.”

McCreadie’s New Chapter

Richards emphasized McCreadie’s ongoing importance to both Rocket1 and their chassis business, announcing an alliance between Rocket1 and Briggs’s operation to maintain close technical collaboration.

“Tim took on a tall task this year joining our team after the year started and he did a great job for us,” Richards acknowledged. “We’re very grateful for his hard work, and as he moves over to [Briggs’s team] he’ll continue to be an important part of the growth and development we have in motion here at Rocket Chassis.”

McCreadie expressed gratitude for his time with Rocket1 and enthusiasm for his new opportunity: “After joining Rocket1 Racing in March we fought an uphill battle all year, but nobody with the team ever gave up and we clawed our way into Championship Four with Lucas Oil. Boom Briggs and everyone with his team are providing me with an opportunity to continue doing what I love.”

Briggs Scales Back

With McCreadie’s arrival, team owner Boom Briggs, 53, plans to reduce his own racing schedule for 2025.

“Me and Tim have been really good friends for over 20 years,” Briggs explained. “Due to my business obligations and him out of a ride, we decided to put this deal together with the support and assistance of Mark Richards. I’m going to still run a limited schedule next year, but our focus sits with giving Tim his best chance to go after another Lucas Oil title and a really successful year.”

The new Rocket1 Racing lineup will begin testing on November 13 at Golden Isles Speedway, preparing for the 2025 Lucas Oil Series opener at the same venue in January.