Deprived of a Cup Ride, Tony Stewart’s Champion Left Frustrated With the Current State of Affairs Despite Leading the Pack

Cole Custer has dreams of running in NASCAR’s premier series, however, it seems like he can let it rest securely for a while- thanks to his father Joe Custer. He has bigger worries to focus on, especially ending his winless streak in Xfinity this season. Having won the Xfinity Championship in his return to the series last year, Custer is leading the series standings in 2024. And maybe the rain gods will continue to bless him at Loudon.

With rain affecting qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the 26-year-old will start from pole on Saturday’s race, hoping for a breakthrough. Yet, his frustrations with the season so far run high as the optimism he feels regarding the NHMS. Custer relayed emotions to the media ahead of the pivotal race in New Hampshire.

Cole Custer has fond memories of New Hampshire Motor Speedway

With rain canceling out qualifying for the SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Xfinity Series points leader Cole Custer was the default pole winner based on NASCAR’s qualifying metric. Having won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Custer’s career-best finish on the track was 2nd in the Xfinity Series in 2019.

When asked in the pre-race press conference if winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway could propel him to win back-to-back Xfinity Championships, Custer replied, “For sure. I mean I always look forward to coming to New Hampshire and this is the place that’s always special coming back to. I always look forward to it and you just hope that you have everything underneath you to go for a win.

“I think at the end of the day, we should have a shot this weekend. Our guys are doing a great job. We just have to break through you know. I feel like we’re top 5 or so every single weekend. It’s very strange to be leading the points but also a little bit frustrated that you haven’t won yet you know. I think it’s coming, we just got to keep knocking on the door.”

There are two qualities that every successful driver needs: optimism and relentlessness. In Cole Custer’s case, he has both. Despite not winning a race so far, he remains optimistic about a successful result on a track he’s very familiar with. Chandler Smith may have won twice already, but Custer has proven that consistency matters more when it comes to being at the top.

However, the 26-year-old hasn’t been able to establish this form in the Cup Series. In his stint with Stewart-Haas Racing, he won one race at Kentucky in 2020, securing a playoff berth. While the win proved that Custer can compete at the highest level, especially because he took on veterans Martin Truex Jr and Kevin Harvick, he has lacked the consistency he shows so often in the Xfinity Series.

One thing is for sure, Custer is assured of a seat next season based on his performances. Whether it’s in the Cup or Xfinity Series remains to be seen.

Cole Custer hopes to get back into the Cup Series

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Having yet to visit victory lane in the 2024 season, Cole Custer may have secured his biggest victory yet. Gene Haas has retained one of the four charters from Stewart-Haas Racing and, with Joe Custer managing the team’s operations, it is quite likely Cole Custer will be back in the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2025 season.

When asked if he would drive for the team if given the opportunity, Cole Custer said, “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.”

While Custer joining Haas’ team in 2025 may seem like a classic case of nepotism, a quick look at his stats indicates otherwise. With three poles, six top-5 finishes, and twelve top-10 finishes, he has shown that consistency goes a long way in the Xfinity Series. He’s leading the standings with 547 points, one point ahead of Chandler Smith, who has won two races this season. If he does manage to win back-to-back Xfinity Championships, it might be fair to say that nobody deserves this shot more than him.

Do you think Cole Custer will be in the NASCAR Cup Series next season? Let us know in the comments!