Denny Hamlin Backs Tony Stewart’s Champion to Redeem Gene Haas’ NASCAR Legacy With Long Coming Cup Series Return

Who doesn’t love a good redemption story? After being demoted to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023, Cole Custer has been letting his performances do the talking. He pulled together a championship run in his first year back in the Xfinity Series and is currently leading the points standings. Through his performances, Custer has reminded the NASCAR world that he remains an elite talent who deserves a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.

With Gene Haas retaining a Cup Series charter for 2025, and Joe Custer managing the team’s operations, it’s all but a certainty that Cole Custer will get one more shot in the NASCAR Cup Series. This time around, he’ll want to grab it with both hands.

Rebuilding a legacy

To say that it has been a difficult few years for Stewart-Haas Racing would be an understatement. The organization hasn’t won a Cup Series race since Chase Briscoe’s Phoenix victory in 2022, making it a total of 84 unlucky races. They were winless last year and were subjected to a lot of backlash from fans. Poor performances, combined with the fact that Stewart-Haas Racing will cease operations at the end of the 2024 season, leaving over 300 staff members unemployed, have undoubtedly affected their reputation. Hence, many were concerned about how the future of its drivers will hold up.

However, Denny Hamlin believes Cole Custer deserves his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series next year, based on merit alone. Speaking on Actions Detrimental, the 43-year-old said, “I think Cole has earned his right, if he gets the opportunity back in the Cup car, I think he has earned that right through his performances. I think he’s your regular season point leader in the Xfinity right now, he’s upfront and solid every single week. Sometimes it’s good to get a reset. I think Cole got that reset and it’s certainly warranted to be back in the Cup Series on Sundays.”

Cole Custer’s first stint in the NASCAR Cup Series was underwhelming, to say the least. He has a single race win at Kentucky Speedway in 2020, followed by a playoff appearance in his rookie season. His next two seasons were more disappointing, finishing the season at 26th and 25th place respectively, and featuring in the top 10 just five times.

However, Cole Custer has elevated his game since returning to the Xfinity Series in 2023, winning three races last year and the championship. Despite the victory lane eluding him in the ongoing season, he has a higher average finish this season (8.9) compared to last year. In conclusion, there is no reason why Custer will not feel he’s ready for his second stint in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Cole Custer will welcome a move to the Haas Factory team

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Denny Hamlin’s belief that Cole Custer deserves a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series may have some merit. While his results in his first stint weren’t satisfactory, they were on par with his eventual replacement, Ryan Preece. He even made it to the playoffs in his rookie year, defeating the likes of Martin Truex Jr and Kevin Harvick to win the race at Kentucky Speedway in 2020.

His stats in the Xfinity Series are even better than some Cup Series drivers. Custer already made it to Championship 4 twice in 2018 and finished in second place with seven victories in 2019. His worst points finish in the Xfinity Series is fourth, which is a tremendous accomplishment in his four-and-a-half-year stint.

When asked if he would like to join the Gene Haas Factory team next season, Cole Custer replied, “Yeah, I mean, I’d love to. You know, that’s what my career has been, I guess is, you know, it’s always tied to – that relationship. I think you know what Gene Haas has done in this sport and you know it would be a dream come true to get to run that Cup car. I’ve tried to go back to the Xfinity Series to prove what I can do and try and make the most of it and you just kind of try and hope it all sorts of itself out.”

As things stand, Cole Custer has four poles, seven top 5 finishes, and 13 top 10 finishes, and he’s leading the championship with 589 points. Winning back-to-back Xfinity Series championships will ensure his seat in the NASCAR Cup Series next season. The question will be if it’s at Haas Factory team, or elsewhere.