Tag: Cole Custer

Custer overcomes early issues to snatch Xfinity win at Bristol

Cole Custer recovered from an early brush with the outside wall to win Friday’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the race that set the field for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. His second victory of the season, combined with a litany of …

Cole Custer recovered from an early brush with the outside wall to win Friday’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the race that set the field for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

His second victory of the season, combined with a litany of trouble that befell Justin Allgaier, gave the driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford an unlikely come-from-behind victory in the battle for the regular-season title and accompanying 15 Playoff-point bonus.

 

Custer, who led a race-high 104 laps, took the top spot for good with a pass of Sheldon Creed on lap 209 of 300. In winning for the first time at Bristol and the 15th time in his career, Custer crossed the finish line 0.896s ahead of Creed, who now has 13 runner-up finishes to his credit without an Xfinity win.

“This is huge, because our confidence was going down there the last month,” said Custer, the reigning series champion who will begin his title defense Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway. “To get this win really means a lot…

“It’s unbelievable. These guys never give up. It’s been a tough month, but to be able to lead into the Playoffs like this, we’re going to really bring it to them.”

The race also secured Playoff spots for the final two drivers on the postseason grid. Sammy Smith and Parker Kligerman finished 15th and 16th, respectively, to earn their Playoff berths.

Chandler Smith ran third and Jesse Love fourth on Friday, both having already secured Playoff spots. Ryan Truex was fifth, followed by Brandon Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Sieg (who missed the final Playoff spot by 36 points) and Playoff-bound Sam Mayer.

The battle for the regular-season championship took more twists and turns than a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Custer hit the outside wall on lap 2 and cut a tire, temporarily jeopardizing his second-place position in the standings.

But Allgaier, the driver Custer was chasing for the regular-season title, had his own share of ill fortune on lap 52. Having led every lap to that point, Allgaier was cruising toward what would have been his 15th stage win of the season when the Chevrolet of Austin Green bounced off the outside wall into Allgaier’s path.

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Contact between the Camaros sheared the rear bumper cover off Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevy. After a pit stop to repair the car’s right-rear quarter panel, Allgaier continued. Allgaier pitted on lap 60 and stayed on the track during the stage break after lap 85, putting him fifth for a restart on lap 96.

He was second for a restart on lap 127 but his sojourn in the top five didn’t last. On lap 153, contact between Creed’s Toyota and Allgaier’s Chevy sent the No. 7 down the track nose-first into the inside wall.

During repairs, Allgaier’s car dragged a saw out of the pits, incurring a penalty. From that point on, the JR Motorsports driver ran roughly three seconds off the pace, rapidly losing laps and positions.

When Custer took the race lead from Creed on lap 209, he had the regular-season lead, having erased the 43-point advantage Allgaier carried into the race. With his victory, Custer secured the regular-season crown by three points over Allgaier, who nevertheless will enter the postseason as the top seed with 34 Playoff points to Custer’s 28.

“I don’t really have any words for tonight,” said Allgaier, who finished 30th, 10 laps down. “It started with getting the damage from the wreck in front of us. There was nothing we could do. And then, just racing, trying to get as many stage points as we could, and I think the No. 18 (Creed ) came off the wall a little bit.

“I’m really bummed about tonight. We’ll go back and talk about it … We had the best car tonight. It was very obvious from the beginning of the race that it was the best car, and nothing to show for it.”

RESULTS

Custer returning to Cup Series in 2025 with Haas Factory Team

Cole Custer will return to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next season as the Haas Factory Team entry driver. Custer, 26, will drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with sponsorship from Haas Automation and HaasTooling.com. The team will have a …

Cole Custer will return to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next season as the Haas Factory Team entry driver.

Custer, 26, will drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse with sponsorship from Haas Automation and HaasTooling.com. The team will have a technical alliance with RFK Racing and receive additional support from Ford Performance.

“Cole has represented Haas Automation for more than half his life and he’s delivered results every step of the way,” team owner Gene Haas said. “He just wins and he’s proven that repeatedly. On his way to winning the Xfinity Series championship last year, Cole really carved out an identity for himself, on the track and off. He brings home trophies and he races people clean. He’s earned a lot of respect from his peers, and he’s a genuine personality whose hard work resonates with our customers.

“The NASCAR Cup Series is tough, but Cole is coming back wiser and tougher. We’re very happy to have him in our colors and in our race car.”

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Haas Factory Team will be a single-car entry from Haas. It will keep Haas in the sport with a charter after he and Tony Stewart decided to shutter Stewart-Haas Racing, which fields four cars in the Cup Series and two in the Xfinity Series. Haas will also keep the Xfinity Series program.

Custer ran three seasons in the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas before being moved to the Xfinity Series program. He is the reigning series champion with four victories since the start of 2023 and currently leads the points with seven races left in the regular season.

Last year, Custer made six starts in the Cup Series for Rick Ware. In 117 career starts, Custer has 12 top-10 finishes and one victory. The victory at Kentucky Speedway in his rookie season, 2020, helped Custer clinch Rookie of the Year honors.

Haas Automation and HaasTooling.com are familiar brands to Custer. Haas has sponsored Custer for over a decade in his climb through the racing ladder from NASCAR K&N to ARCA and into all three national series.

“I’ve grown up with Haas Automation, and having their name on my firesuit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in,” Custer said. “I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career. Haas Factory Team will essentially be a new race team next year, and it’s going to take all of us to build it into an organization that can go out and win races. I want this opportunity, and I’m ready for this challenge.”

Custer finally breaks through for first Xfinity win of 2024 at Pocono

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series …

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series win of the year.

Custer’s No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang took the lead from Allgaier on a restart with nine laps remaining and then held off the JR Motorsports Chevy by 0.670s to secure his 14th career victory in a thrilling finish at Pocono Raceway. He becomes first driver to win multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the historic 2.5-mile track – answering his 2019 win.

“You just try to manage it the best you can but it’s kind of the luck of the draw who gets the best push,’’ a smiling Custer said of having to hold off perennial championship contender Allgaier and third place finisher NASCAR Cup Series regular William Byron in the closing laps.

“That was some Doug Yates horsepower right there. We definitely had it on the straightaways and man, I just can’t say enough about these guys. They’ve worked so hard this whole year and just haven’t had that final result. To finally get it, is so awesome.’’

 

Allgaier led a race best 30 laps of the 90-lap race with the 25-year old Californian Custer out front for 25 laps – the two drivers each winning a stage. For Allgaier, his Stage 1 victory was a series best 11th but a pit road penalty during the ensuing pit stop forced him to work his way back up through the field.

And even with all the impressive race statistics and compelling comeback storyline Saturday, it was missing out on the trophy after such a strong showing that stuck with Allgaier when he climbed out of his Chevrolet.

“Really proud of everyone at Junior Motorsports; just really stinks to come out of here second,’’ Allgaier said. “Led so many laps here and feel like same result every time, just not able to go to Victory Lane. … just came up a little short and it’s going to sting for a little while.’’

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This year’s Daytona 500 winner and the 2017 Xfinity Series champion Byron was making his third Xfinity Series start of the season and kept the field honest leading 17 laps.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray rounded out the Pocono top five. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman and JR Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer rounded out the top 10.

Custer extended his lead atop the Xfinity Series championship and now holds a 51-point advantage on Allgaier. With seven races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field, Smith holds a 23-point edge over Ryan Sieg for that 12th position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ty Gibbs won the race last year on the Indianapolis road course. Kyle Busch won the last NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the famed 2.5-mile oval in 2019.

RESULTS

Cole Custer rumored to join Front Row Motorsports in NASCAR Cup Series

Cole Custer is rumored to join Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. Could Custer return to the Cup Series in 2025?

[autotag]Cole Custer[/autotag] spent three years with Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series before the team moved him to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023. Custer then won the Xfinity Series championship and returned to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2024 season. However, could the driver of the No. 00 car be on the way to a new race team?

According to NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin on his Door, Bumper, Clear, there are “a lot of rumors” that Custer will replace Michael McDowell in the No. 34 car at Front Row Motorsports. In a shocking development, McDowell will replace Zane Smith in the No. 71 car at Spire Motorsports, leaving the No. 34 car open for the 2025 NASCAR season.

Front Row Motorsports recently increased its partnership with Ford to a Tier 1 status, and the organization has improved in 2024. That would only become better if Stewart-Haas Racing leaves NASCAR. Custer would be a great fit at Front Row Motorsports and could lead the Ford-backed race team into a new, competitive era starting in 2025.

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How Custer came out of his shell

Cole Custer has never had a problem giving a thoughtful answer. But giving that answer while not looking uncomfortable in front of the camera or microphone has been a different story. It was 2014 when Custer emerged on the NASCAR national series …

Cole Custer has never had a problem giving a thoughtful answer. But giving that answer while not looking uncomfortable in front of the camera or microphone has been a different story.

It was 2014 when Custer emerged on the NASCAR national series scene thanks to a great opportunity to drive a truck as a Haas Racing Development driver. It took him three starts to earn his first career pole in St. Louis, and seven before going to victory lane in New Hampshire.

Custer was 16 years old at the time. He had a ton of talent, a touch of acne and a flat-billed hat that it sometimes seemed he might have been trying to hide under.

“I was the shy kid in school and just didn’t really say much,” Custer told RACER. “When I first started racing in some of the top series, I just wanted to come in and worry about doing my job on the track as much as I could. Obviously, if anybody asked me to do anything, I was going to do it, but that’s where my full focus was in trying to get everything out of the car, trying to make sure I was doing my job, and that I was up to the task on the racetrack.

“For me to come out of my shell during that time was a little bit tough because I was so focused on doing that.”

Custer ran nine Truck Series races in 2014 before signing with JR Motorsports to run 10 races in 2015. He picked up another win, this time in St. Louis, and added two more poles to his resume. In 2016, he was full-time for Earnhardt’s team and finished 10th in the championship standings. Custer also ran five Xfinity Series races for JR Motorsports that year.

Stewart-Haas Racing added Custer to its Xfinity Series stable in 2017 and Custer earned his first win in the season finale. He won nine races in his first three seasons but finished runner-up in the championship in 2018 and ’19. Then came a three-year stint in the Cup Series before being moved back into the Xfinity Series, where he’s been one of the dominant drivers.

All that was on the track in full view of the NASCAR world. Behind the scenes, Custer was putting in a different kind of work to become a driver who could not only go fast but then adequately discuss it with the media.

“There was work,” Custer said. “There were different PR reps and media people I talked to just to try and get me out of my shell and talk a little bit and know what people were wanting to hear. I even spoke with (legendary radio broadcaster) Doug Rice once, and he sat me down with advice he could offer me. He was good to talk to about what people liked to hear and what things he thinks about when he’s on a radio broadcast.

“Through those different experiences, you meet different people who bring you out of your shell and give you more confidence. I feel like giving a thoughtful answer was never my problem. I always tried to give an answer that was more than a few words; it was just knowing how to say what I was thinking and communicate that better.”

Custer says he’s come a long way both as a driver and as a person since his first NASCAR national series win in the truck race at New Hampshire a decade ago. Matt Thacker/Motorsport Images

Now, 10 years later, Custer is one of the best personalities in the garage. The smile looks far from forced. Custer’s interviews are just as thoughtful, only now they also have confidence and energy behind them. He’s even got a nickname — Stone Cole, as a nod to former professional wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin — for when he double fists beers in victory lane. (Custer even has it hash-tagged in his X bio.)

Custer is all about putting himself out there when he can, including volunteering to go in the radio booth to call Craftsman Truck Series races. It was another area where he felt he could get better, give him experience of a different kind, keep him sharp on a microphone, and on what’s going on in other series.

By having a stronger relationship with the media and being more comfortable in those situations, Custer also realized it could help his brand. He has a good presence on social media and embraces opportunities to do non-NASCAR activities like collaborations in attending NHL or NFL games.

Doing interviews or radio broadcasts means fans are seeing his face and hearing his voice. It also gives his team and partners more exposure, making Custer marketable for attracting sponsors or additional opportunities.

Andy’s Frozen Custard is a good example. Not only did the company sign on to become an official sponsor at Stewart-Haas Racing this season, but it also gave the reigning series champion his own custard in its lineup. It’s the Frozen Custer Concrete.

“I just randomly ran into the guy at the championship banquet in Nashville and we hit it off,” Custer said. “For me, it’s a dream come true because I’ve always been big into sweets and stuff like that. It seemed like a perfect fit and that’s what racing is – being able to make those random relationships and random connections. A lot of times, those are the ones that turn into something.”

Custer is open to actively finding more partners who make sense to align himself with. During the pandemic, he took up golf, and it’s become one of his big hobbies. Or perhaps doing more in the animal space, as Custer admits his dog, Honey, is one of the most spoiled dogs he knows.

Despite his evolution, Custer acknowledges no one ever reaches perfection. But he has become a complete package as a race car driver with his on-track performance and marketability off it, and he is proud of the work and growth he’s done through the journey.

“When I won my first truck race, that was 10 years ago now. This is the 10th anniversary of that win for me,” Custer said. “So that’s very weird to think, honestly. It’s definitely been crazy how much has happened in that timeframe, and we’ve enjoyed a lot of success (too). You just have to keep pushing yourself to keep growing in different areas.”

Cole Custer gains sponsorship from Andy’s Frozen Custard for 2024 NASCAR season

Cole Custer has gained sponsorship from Andy’s Frozen Custard for the 2024 NASCAR season. Find out more details about the partnership!

[autotag]Cole Custer[/autotag] returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series after being demoted by Stewart-Haas Racing and responded very well. Custer won three races, including the 2023 Xfinity Series championship, after holding off the field on a late-race restart at Phoenix Raceway. Now, the driver of the No. 00 Xfinity car heads into 2024 with a new sponsor.

On Friday afternoon, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Andy’s Frozen Custard will join Custer and the No. 00 team as a primary sponsor for three races in 2024. Andy’s Frozen Custard will sponsor the Xfinity Series driver at Texas in April, the Chicago Street Course in July, and the Charlotte ROVAL during the playoffs in October.

It is an ironic partnership as Custer’s last name closely resembles “Custard.” Perhaps that was behind a possible agreement as the 2023 Xfinity Series champion looks to defend his title. Custer is going into his second straight season with Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him break through for even more victories.

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NASCAR awards its champions in Nashville ceremony

On Thursday night at the Music City Center, the NASCAR Champion’s Week festivities concluded with the honoring of Ryan Blaney, who reached the pinnacle of the sport – claiming the NASCAR Cup Series title – by outdueling three other Championship 4 …

On Thursday night at the Music City Center, the NASCAR Champion’s Week festivities concluded with the honoring of Ryan Blaney, who reached the pinnacle of the sport — claiming the NASCAR Cup Series title — by outdueling three other Championship 4 contenders Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

The 29-year-old Blaney finished second to Ross Chastain in the season finale but crossed the finish line ahead of Playoff drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron — both representing Hendrick Motorsports — to earn his first Cup championship and the second in a row for team owner Roger Penske.

“I know, all the competitors, we don’t agree all the time, but it is a true honor to race with the best in the world on a weekly basis, and I do appreciate that,” Blaney said after an introduction from NASCAR president Steve Phelps and a welcome to the stage from one of Blaney’s favorite bands, Whiskey Myers.

Blaney comes from a racing family that includes his father, Dave Blaney and uncle, Dale Blaney, both superstars in the sprint car realm.

“Obviously, growing up, watching Dad race, that’s just what I wanted to do, and I wanted to be like my Dad,” Blaney said. “I was super lucky to be able see that at a young age and get the whole spectrum of seeing what it’s like as a driver, seeing how teams operated.”

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Blaney had special praise for team owner Roger Penske, who has fielded Cup cars for Blaney for the last six seasons.

“Roger and (wife) Kathy Penske — it’s hard to believe it’s been over 10 years since we first met,” Blaney said. “As a kid, there’s nothing more I wanted to do than to win you a championship and just be successful, because I was such a big fan of you, not only in NASCAR but in every form of motorsport.

“I have such a huge respect for what you did. You stuck with me for over 10 years, and it’s been unbelievable.”

Blaney delivered Penske’s first back-to-back Cup championships this season, with Jonathan Hassler as his crew chief.

“Ryan is the champion, but think about his position in the garage area with other teams and other drivers,” Penske said. “He’s a champion with them, too. It’s very important, as you climb the ladder in this sport.”

For the sixth straight year, Chase Elliot won the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award. Justin Allgaier and Hailie Deegan were most popular drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, respectively.

Elliott, who is 10 short of the 16 Most Popular Driver Awards won by his father, Bill Elliott, appeared on stage with a sling on his left arm, indicative of recent offseason should surgery.

Ty Gibbs was named Sunoco Rookie of the Year in NASCAR’s top series.

“It’s been a great year, and we want to keep going,” said Gibbs, who scored 10 top-10 finishes with a best result of fourth in his first full-time season.

All 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers appeared on stage during the award ceremony. Veteran Michael McDowell perhaps had the best laugh line of the evening.

“It’s taken me a long time not to suck,” said McDowell, a former Daytona 500 winner who earned his second career victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this year.

Kevin Harvick summed up his retirement from full-time Cup racing with a poignant image.

“When I got out of my car in Phoenix, there wasn’t another (race),” said Harvick, who is leaving full-time racing after 23 Cup seasons.

NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton had high praise for Harvick, who will remain prominent in the sport as an analyst in the FOX Sports booth.

“I want to say, ‘thank you’ to everybody in this room,” Harvick said. “It’s been a heck of a ride… “Where’s Bubba (Wallace)? He bet me $100 I’d cry like a baby — I won $100. Thank you!”

Brad Keselowski, co-owner/driver at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, pointed to the progress the organization has made in 2023, with both Keselowski and teammate Chris Buescher, a three-time winner, qualifying for the Playoffs.

Cole Custer takes a bow as Xfinity Series champion. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

Driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Cole Custer bested Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemechek to win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Custer returned to the Xfinity Series this season after three disappointing years in NASCAR’s top division.

“I think he’s matured a lot, and it’s very gratifying to see him win the Xfinity Series championship,” said team owner Gene Haas.

NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell brought Custer to the stage with high praise for the title-winning performance at Phoenix.

“He dug deep, like he always does,” O’Donnell said, referencing the nail-biting restarts late in the championship race.

“At the end of that race in Phoenix, when we held that championship trophy, I’ve never been more proud to be a part of that (team),” Custer said. “To the whole team, thank you for believing in me — I love you guys.”

Custer also acknowledged the help and advice he received from Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion.

Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes with his ThorSport Racing Ford. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Ben Rhodes won his second title for ThorSport Racing, beating Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim in the Championship 4 finale. Also notable in the Truck Series was Sunoco Rookie of the Year Nick Sanchez, the only rookie driver to qualify for the Playoffs this season.

Rhodes finished the season with Rich Lushes as his crew chief after two in-season changes to that vital role.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR vice president of racing development and strategy, introduced Rhodes for his champion’s speech.

“I can’t speak for everyone on the team,” Rhodes said, “but I can say they had incredible tenacity. We went through a lot of adversity, and not once did I hear anyone complain… While I stand before you tonight taking recognition, I really defer that to my team, without which none of it would have been possible.”

Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek earned respective driver of the year honors in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series, while Christopher Bell won the 2023 Busch Light Pole Award for his career-best six pole positions this year.

Kurt Busch held back tears as he was recognized for a NASCAR career that spanned more than two decades.

“I want to say thank you to everyone in this room and everyone in this industry for supporting me for all these years,” said Busch, the 2004 series champion. “I want to thank my father, my mother and my brother Kyle — we always pushed each other to get to the next level.”

NASCAR chairman Jim France presented the Bill France Award of Excellence to Rich Kramer, chairman, president and CEO of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

“I’m completely humbled by this acknowledgement,” Kramer said. “The team you see at the track each weekend — anything I’m acknowledged for is due to them…. Goodyear is long-term partner of NASCAR, I think, because we’re cut out of the same cloth.”

Lesa France Kennedy, executive vice chair of NASCAR, announced Molly Moran, a volunteer at Comfort Zone Camp, as the winner of this year’s prestigious Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

Comfort Zone Camp is a non-profit bereavement organization that transforms the lives of children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, primary caregiver, or significant person.

Ryan Vargas was honored as Comcast Community Champion of the Year for his work with FACES, the National Craniofacial Association. Diagnosed with craniosynostosis as a child, Vargas serves as a board member of FACES and earned a $60,000 donation from Comcast and Xfinity for the organization.

Sherry Pollex, long-time partner of 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., was honored with the NMPA Myers Brothers Award. Pollex lost a valiant, nine-year battle against ovarian cancer this year.

Cole Custer wins the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix

Cole Custer has won the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway! This is Custer’s first career Xfinity Series title.

The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship was decided at Phoenix Raceway and Stewart-Haas Racing driver [autotag]Cole Custer[/autotag] came away with the trophy. After winning the race off pit road, Custer held onto the lead following the restart and pulled away from Joe Gibbs Racing driver John Hunter Nemechek before another yellow flag.

Custer went into NASCAR overtime with the three other drivers in the first two rows. Despite the driver of the No. 00 car having a poor restart, he was able to pull into the lead after Nemechek overcooked Turn 1. It represents Custer’s third win of the 2023 NASCAR season but more importantly, his first Xfinity Series championship.

It is no secret that Custer was demoted to the Xfinity Series for this season and while he could have been upset over the situation, he persevered through those emotions. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is now a NASCAR champion and that is something that can never be taken away from his legacy.

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Custer wins three-wide overtime battle for Xfinity title at Phoenix

After an overtime restart that saw title contenders engage in a breathtaking three-wide battle down the backstretch, Cole Custer deftly negotiated a tightly bunched pack of cars to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race and the series title …

After an overtime restart that saw title contenders engage in a breathtaking three-wide battle down the backstretch, Cole Custer deftly negotiated a tightly bunched pack of cars to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race and the series title on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

The victory was the third of the season for Custer, who returned to full-time Xfinity Series racing this year after a lackluster three-year stint in the NASCAR Cup Series that produced a single victory.

But Custer proved his mettle after slipping from first to third in the running order moments after the final restart. Championship 4 driver John Hunter Nemechek held a fleeting lead but couldn’t turn his No. 20 Toyota in Turn 1 and lost the top spot to title contender Just Allgaier.

 

Custer steered his No. 00 Stewart Haas Racing Ford to the inside of Allgaier’s Chevrolet as the three championship hopefuls raced side-by-side down the backstretch before Custer emerged with the lead. A lap later, Custer crossed the finish line 0.601s ahead of charging Sheldon Creed and another 0.007s ahead of Allgaier to win for the first time at Phoenix and the 13th time in his career.

“I thought it was over,” said Custer, who had two previous runner-up finishes in the series standings. “I mean, went from first to third, and I was able to shift the car all night. And Doug Yates horsepower worked out, pulled me off the corner. I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart.

“Man, I can’t say enough about these guys (his Stewart Haas team). We started the year off and it was a struggle, and we had to kind of dig deep with each other, really talk about how to get better and to see how much this group has grown through the year.

“I’ve been waiting to hear (congratulations from Xfinity Series director) Wayne (Auton) on the radio for a few times now, so I’m pumped.”

Allgaier spun underneath Nemechek on lap three and worked his way back to the front from 38th in the running order, but Custer had the superior car on short runs and proved it after the final restart.

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“I don’t know if I’ll get another shot at it again next year,” said the 37-year-old Allgaier. “We at least will have a shot at it, but I don’t know if we’ll make it. But so proud of the effort of this team and what we were able to accomplish. The restart was fantastic. I thought we did everything right.

“The No. 20 (Nemechek) kind of missed the bottom and drove all the way up, and honestly, I was afraid I was going to run into the back of him. When I tried to turn back down the hill, it just was enough to let the No. 00 (Custer) get back to my inside and ultimately getting down into Turn 3…

“I don’t know, I’m going to replay this one back in my head a couple times. I drove in there pretty deep and just kind of washed up. The No. 00 had the turning car all night, and we were just a little bit too free.”

Riley Herbst ran fourth on Saturday, followed by title contender Sam Mayer. Nemechek, a series-best seven-time winner this season, suffered a flat tire after the final restart, slammed the outside wall and finished 28th.

“Drove in, and it didn’t turn,” Nemechek said of Turn 1 after the final restart. “I don’t know if we had a right front (tire) start going down or what exactly it was, but just drove in and didn’t turn.

“Toyota GR Supra was really fast, but drive down, it doesn’t turn, it’s not a very good thing. Then once we got pinched in the fence there off of [Turn 2], it kind of hurt the right sides even more. I think we had a right rear start going down, as well.

“It sucks to end up where we finished. Had a really strong effort all day. Proud of this whole No. 20 crew. Proud of this whole group. Just sucks to end our season this way, but overall, a really successful season for this No. 20 team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Was proud to be behind the wheel of this No. 20 car all year, and seven wins is a lot to be proud of.”

In a race that produced eight cautions for a total of 46 laps, Custer led 96 of 202 laps to 66 for Nemechek.

Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, pole winner Sammy Smith and Kaz Grala completed the top 10.

RESULTS

RFK tips Custer to qualify for dad-again Keselowski at Phoenix

Cole Custer will qualify the No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing on Saturday afternoon as Brad Keselowski has left Phoenix Raceway to be with his wife Paige, who has gone into labor. NASCAR Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. local time (4:35 …

Cole Custer will qualify the No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing on Saturday afternoon as Brad Keselowski has left Phoenix Raceway to be with his wife Paige, who has gone into labor.

NASCAR Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. local time (4:35 p.m. ET). It will set the field for the final race of the season and the championship-deciding race for William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Blaney.

Custer will pull double duty on Saturday. Following Cup Series qualifying, Custer will compete for the Xfinity Series championship in his No. 00 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.

RKF Racing stated: “Brad Keselowski will not qualify the No. 6 car today, due to his wife, Paige, going into labor. In place of him, Cole Custer will qualify the car later this afternoon. The expectation is that Brad will return to Phoenix Sunday to drive the No. 6 in the NASCAR Cup Series Race.”

Custer has made six Cup Series starts this season with Rick Ware Racing with his best finish being a 24th-place result at Kansas Speedway last month. He was a full-time Cup Series driver from 2020 through 2022.