The much-anticipated “Madhouse” race is finally here, and it’s already showing us why Bowman Gray Stadium earned that wild nickname. Before we get to the big show, though, drivers have to get through the heat races—four of them, each with 9-10 cars. The top 5 finishers from each heat move on to the NASCAR Busch Light Clash, but things got a little heated in Heat 4 when Cole Custer got caught up in an early on-track incident.

Custer, who’s making his return to the Cup Series with Haas Factory Team, after a four-year break and a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2023, found himself in a bit of a tussle with another driver who’s also returning to the Cup after a year away. It’s like both guys carried some extra tension into this race from the 2024 Xfinity finale. Neither driver has raced on this tricky short track before, so it was bound to be a bit of a learning curve. But the driver of the new Haas Factory team has issued a strong warning!

Custer lets Allmendinger off the hook… this time

Here’s what went down: AJ Allmendinger, who’s making his NASCAR Cup Series return with Kaulig Racing, got into the side of Custer and pinched him into the wall in Turn 3. The contact sent Custer’s #41 car into the wall hard, which then bounced back and spun Allmendinger’s #16 car around. And this was only six laps into the 25-lap race! At the time, Custer was sitting in 5th place, with Allmendinger right behind him in 6th. But the contact cost them both: Allmendinger finished 7th, and Custer ended up 9th.

Despite the mess, the two drivers chatted things over afterward. Allmendinger admitted, “I got tight,” but Cole Custer made it crystal clear that he wasn’t going to tolerate that kind of racing in the future. In a post-race interview, Custer said, “I am okay with letting it go because of how much of a mess this really is. But I told him if it happens in the future, it’s going to be a major problem. We’ll just go on to the next one.”

Custer was probably calm because he knew he had another chance to qualify for the main events. So, before the finale race, there will be a 75-lap race to pick the final two spots in the 23-driver lineup. The top two finishers will bag the 21st and 22nd spots behind the top 20 drivers from the four heats. The final spot will go to the driver with the highest Cup rank in the 2024 season. So, neither of these two would have that third opportunity.

It’s not gonna be easy, either. 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney, who finished 9th in Heat 1, and 2021 Champion Kyle Larson, who was 6th in Heat 2, will also be fighting for those final spots. But Custer’s confident his car’s got the speed to get it done.

Trending

1

Ryan Blaney Snatches Up $70 Billion Sponsor as They Leave Struggling F1 Team in the Dumps

2

NASCAR Rumors: Chase Elliott’s Billion Dollar Sponsor to File Bankruptcy One Year After Ugly Exit

3

NASCAR Ready to Steal Roger Penske’s Massive Loss Amidst 4th Manufacturer Rumors

4

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets His Own Detectives to Unravel a Mystery of His Father’s Legacy

5

NASCAR Rumors: $41B Japanese Giant to Outrun Dodge to Become NASCAR’s 4th Manufacturer Days After New Reports

Custer staying positive about BGS and beyond

According to Custer, the #41 team had a decent day on track. “There was a lot more good than bad from today us being a new team. A lot of new people getting together. Made the car a lot better and had a lot of speed. I ended up getting wrecked in the heat race and broke the rack. So, we can’t control everything, obviously; it’s kind of a mess out there… Hopefully, we’ll make it better for tomorrow, have a shot at it. Nonetheless, I think we are really happy with the speed we had,” Custer added.

For a team just starting to find its footing, that’s a good attitude to have. Custer has the potential to make some serious noise in NASCAR, and there are plenty of signs pointing to a solid future ahead. He spent three full seasons in the Cup Series from 2020 to 2022 but didn’t get the results he was hoping for. Even so, he picked up one win, two top-5s, 12 top-10s, and a best finish of 16th in 2020. And let’s not forget, that Stewart-Haas Racing was struggling during that time, so give him some credit.

But where Custer really showed his talent was in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He dominated, winning the 2023 championship, the 2024 regular season championship and finishing second overall. Now, he’s back in the Cup Series, piloting the #41 car for the newly formed Haas Factory Team, a fresh start after Stewart-Haas shut down.

However, NASCAR’s history shows that single-car teams often struggle, but with the help of some seasoned pros, Custer is in a good spot. Former RFK Racing crew chief Nick Sandler is on board as competition director, and Aaron Kramer, who worked with Chris Buescher in 2024, is Custer’s crew chief. The team might have new faces, but it has veteran energy and Custer is loving it.

“It’s been great. We have a really close-knit group now. Not as many people as we had before. And they have done a great job over the off-season. I mean it was a lot of work to get ready for this year. With the whole switch over and everything. So to show up here and have good speed, have a car worthy of being in the actual race,” He added.

What do you think? Do you think the Haas Factory Team has a shot at success at Bowman Gray and in the 2025 NASCAR season overall? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!