The pressure is finally off Cole Custer’s shoulders! The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion finally locked in the much-needed win at Pocono. It was his first win of the season and he outpaced his closest championship rival, Justin Allgaier, to the checkered flag at the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225. This duo has been at it this season, but while it was a great day for the SHR driver, the same cannot be said about Allgaier. For him, it was another poor race finish and yet another visit to the Broken Dreams Inn!

With SHR folding, Cole Custer was on hot waters to get that win, and he finally did. And no one seemed happier than his dad, Joe Custer. And well, he went on to spill some beans about what’s coming next.

Papa Joe might have confirmed fans’ speculations

Cole Custer’s season this year was a dominant one. With seven top-five finishes and 14 top-10, only a win was missing! He was the leader in points but had no wins in sight, but he changed all that on the 2.5-mile track. And even admitted that, “I’ve never been so frustrated being the points leader. It was the weirdest feeling in the world.”

But Custer finally proved his might on track and with just ten laps left, he passed his fiercest competitor, Justin Allgaier, and held onto the lead through the two restarts. It almost seemed like an “I won’t let this get away” moment for him. Given that he is a reigning champion, this win not only locks him in the playoffs but also limits the stress he must have been taking. 

Plus, he gave SHR the much-needed win before they closed the shop. As for his plans ahead, his dad and SHR president just gave everyone the clue that they were waiting for. Joe Custer might have just confirmed that his son could have that cup seat at the Haas Factory Team. In a post-race interview with Claire B Lang, Joe Custer said, “I think he’ll have a ride next year somewhere in NASCAR. A lot to be determined but stuff like this helps right? Championships, winning races, that’s what we are here for. He did his job, honestly. The car was good and he did his job—that’s all we asked him don’t give us more don’t give us less, just do your job. So we are thankful.”

This just confirms what fans have been talking about- him possibly shifting to the cup next year with the rebranded SHR team, given his strong back-to-back performances. Meanwhile, in his strongest competition, Justin Allgaier has yet another poor finish at the race! 

Justin Allgaier is a frequent visitor to the “almost’ lane

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At Pocono, Justin Allgaier had one of the best cars, and he was fast. He dominated the field and won stage 1, his 11th stage win of the season. But sadly for him, after this, something went wrong. The team got a penalty because of equipment interference during the first pit stop and that sent him way back. 

But he still recovered to the 10th by the end of the stage two. His crew chief, Jim Pohlman, decided to gamble a little and called for a pit stop with 42 laps to go. He was hoping that they would make it to the end on that fuel. And for a while it helped, Allgaier led with 23 laps left. But then a caution was sounded, and this allowed Cole Custer, his fiercest competitor, to challenge him on fresher tires. Custer was a force to be reckoned with, and the fact that Allgaier misjudged the final corner just sealed Custer’s win.

That must sting him, coming so close and not clenching the win, and he did admit so. He said, “It’s going to sting for a little bit, you know. I wish I’d have checked up a little bit more in the middle of turn 1 and got a little bit lower off the corner. I heard [Custer] go into third gear and I kind of knew that was the end of it for me at that point.”

But this isn’t just a single tale of heartbreaking loss he had to endure. There are more such losses he has faced this season. If not for them, he would have at least two or three more wins. In Phoenix, he led 52 laps and was all ready for the first win, but with five laps remaining, his left rear tire failed, sending him hard into the wall. Then in Texas, he led 117 laps and fell back at the final restart. At Dover, he led 30 laps, but everything unraveled in the last quarter. In Charlotte, because of his own mistake, he had a wreck. Then in Portland, he got into contact with SVG and that relegated him to the runner-up position. 

So while this isn’t new, this isn’t great! He knows he has trouble finishing races, maybe he can master that skill. What did you think about the race? Let us know!