Despite SHR Not Giving Him the Opportunity, Tony Stewart’s Xfinity Champion Shuts Down Cup Series Noise

They say that loyalty is hard to come by in today’s world. Thankfully for Tony Stewart, it seems like he has a loyal employee in his camp who recently proved his worth by becoming a champion. Cole Custer became the Xfinity Series champion in 2023 but was not given a chance in Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cup Series team. However, the 25-year-old recently made it crystal clear that his loyalties lie firmly with the Ford team.

Cole Custer’s story was one of redemption. At the end of the 2022 season, he was demoted to the Xfinity Series from the Cup Series by Tony Stewart. Custer previously had three disappointing years in NASCAR’s top league and it was just not good enough. But in his first year back in the Xfinity Series, the SHR man defied the odds and won the title, albeit with a bit of luck.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s champion expresses his gratefulness towards Gene Haas

It is not unnatural for a driver to expect a call-up to the Cup Series if they become the Xfinity Series champion. However, it did not happen with Cole Custer. He has been confirmed as the driver of the 00 for the 2024 season in the Xfinity Series. Instead of him, Josh Berry was hired by Tony Stewart to drive the legendary #4 car in the Cup.

In a recent press conference at the NASCAR Awards in Nashville, the 2023 Xfinity Series champion was asked if he would consider taking a Cup Series seat anywhere else. Custer seemed a bit nervous to answer the question at first but it did not take him too long to declare his loyalty to SHR. A lot of that has to do with the team’s co-owner, Gene Haas.

“I mean we’ll see when that, if that happens. Gene Haas has stood behind me for a long time and I…he’s a huge part of why I’m here so really have a lot of respect for Gene and what he’s done and yeah, I don’t really know at this moment,” the 25-year-old said.

Cole Custer first joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 in the NASCAR Truck Series. He left the team after that year and then re-joined them in the Xfinity Series program in 2017 and has been with the team since. He was the one shining star in a disappointing season for Tony Stewart’s team. As per the three-time Cup Series champion, the decision to demote him worked wonders.

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It was difficult for Cole Custer in the Cup Series. In his three years in the competition, the 25-year-old finished 16th, 26th and 25th respectively. Tony Stewart said that his move was to help him build character and that is exactly what happened in 2023.

“It was a calculated decision to move him back, and it was for him to gain confidence. When a driver makes it to the big show and then has to step back one series, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong, but there was a reason we made that decision. It’s character-building. I told him … ‘This is why we did what we did … the steps that you’re making and the progress you’ve made this year is exactly what we were hoping for,’” the SHR co-owner said as per Autoweek.

Will Cole Custer be able to land a spot in the Cup Series in the near future, if he keeps up this level of performance? Let us know what you think.

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