Was it just hard racing, or did Cole Custer cross a line at Daytona? After a heated superspeedway battle, Denny Hamlin left frustrated, but Custer stood firm—no regrets, just racing. The chaotic final laps saw aggressive moves, tight side-drafting, and inevitable contact, leaving both drivers without the finish they wanted. Now, that the dust is settled and Atlanta lined up next, Custer addresses the controversy head-on, shedding light on his mindset, his exchange with Hamlin, and what comes next in the Cup Series fight.

Cole Custer spoke with Claire B. Lang about the fierce battle at the 2025 Daytona 500. He fought through aggressive superspeedway racing. The veteran JGR driver didn’t lose his cool during the post-race conversation, but things changed when he returned to his podcast. While he understood Custer’s position and the single-car team going for the Daytona 500 trophy, Hamlin shared a piece of advice he might want to keep in handy next time they trade blows on superspeedway

Custer Breaks His Silence with No Regrets, Just Superspeedway Racing 

Hamlin’s complaint was the Custer could’ve gone three-wide squeezing him on the final turn rather than the backstretch. This way all three drivers – Austin Cindric, Hamlin and Custer had a fair shot to clinch the win. But, fresh from Xfinity to Cup Series with the new team, Custer couldn’t control the urge to make the game-changing move. In his mind, he envisioned him getting past the leaders and taking the checkered flag, but all it did was spark a “Big One.”

This was indeed frustrating for Hamlin who was within a turn or two to becoming a four-time Daytona 500 champion. But, Custer on the other hand isn’t regretting his decision on the racetrack, stating , “I mean at the end of the day we are all competitors. We are ready to go out there and the race starts and these superspeedway races come down to pushing and shoving and side rafting. You see wrecks usually at the superspeedway races during the last laps. it’s everybody trying to go for the same spot at a time. I wish I made moving in the front stretch but I’m not gonna regret anything,” he said. 

Interestingly, Custer accepted that he could’ve managed the situation better rather than throwing caution to the wind. More than causing the crash, he was more concerned about being in a lead in case there was a caution. “Because I got such a big run from the 19 pushing me, and I was probably a couple car lengths back of Denny at the time. I just tried to take the run. It was the last lap. I tried to take it. I knew I probably should have waited for the front stretch, but it’s one of those things you learn from the next time. Then also having the 35 spin out on the front stretch, it was kind of like, man, these guys are all wrecking, you’ve got to get to the lead now.”

Well, it looks like the Haas Factory Team driver will have an opportunity to redeem himself in the next race. There’s going to be the same superspeedway package at Atlanta Motor Speedway, along with a similar drafting style of racing. Given that Custer was within a touching distance last weekend, he has a genuine shot to repeat the same at Atlanta.

From Daytona Chaos to Atlanta Redemption: Custer Eyes a Comeback

Despite Daytona’s frustrations and chaos, there’s little time to dwell on the past. With the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway up next, drivers must quickly shift their focus, learning from the mayhem and preparing for another intense battle on a challenging track. “How do you walk out of Daytona and head to Atlanta what’s your mindset?”, Claire B Lang questioned.

“Hopefully I’m gonna give a shot at it. Our team has been doing a great job and I’m adjusting to the car throughout the day, communicating and trying to do things better that puts us in a situation to have a shot to win it. Just gotta go there with the same mindset,” he said.

Cole Custer’s mindset heading into Atlanta after Daytona is rooted in confidence and preparation. After returning to the NASCAR Cup Series with the Haas Factory Team, Custer has emphasized his determination to adapt and improve throughout races. Last time around when Custer raced at Atlanta in the Cup Series, he ended the race with a 9th-place finish. So, he certainly would want to better this position or even better contend for the win.