Joe Custer is an experienced motorsports executive. He has previously worked as Vice President of the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing and will lead the newly rebranded Haas Factory Team as Team President from the 2025 season. Custer’s leadership qualities will be tested in the upcoming campaign, as not only will he be responsible for a new Cup and Xfinity Series team, but he’s also caught up in the middle of the ongoing anti-trust lawsuit, involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

Who is Joe Custer? Is he related to the Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer?

Joe Custer is connected to the NASCAR world in both a professional and personal capacity. The experienced motorsports executive has previously worked at Stewart-Haas Racing before the team ceased operations at the end of 2024. He has now taken over the Haas Factory Team, where his son Cole Custer will be competing during the 2025 Cup Series season.

Even though Joe and Cole Custer are related by blood, their motorsports journey couldn’t be more different. While Joe Custer’s management and leadership skills shine away behind the scenes, his son pushes the limits of his car on the racetrack and will be aiming to maintain his rich vein of form when he takes over the No. 41 Ford for Gene Haas’ team next year.

From being Stewart-Haas Racing’s executive to being a supportive father: Joe Custer’s dynamic world of racing

Joe Custer has had quite a journey in his motorsports career. He joined Stewart-Haas Racing when the team was still finding its footing in NASCAR, and quickly became an important part of their hierarchy. Under his leadership, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas’ side became a force to be reckoned with, both in the Cup and Xfinity Series with Kevin Harvick winning the championship in 2014 while driving the No. 4 Chevy.

Despite his professional commitments, Joe Custer remains a dedicated father and has supported Cole Custer both on and off the racetrack. Under his guidance, the 26-year-old racer hasn’t finished below second in the driver standings in his last two years at Stewart-Haas Racing, highlighting just how influential his parent has been. While maintaining a delicate balance between personal and professional duties isn’t an easy task, Joe Custer has managed it effortlessly so far, which has earned him the respect of his peers.

How has the closing of SHR and the rebranding of the team affected Joe Custer and his team

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It’s a period of transition, not just for Joe Custer but also for the Stewart-Haas Racing team. While many have already left the organization in search of greener pastures, Gene Haas retained some of the employees to manage the No. 41 Ford team in the Cup Series. By taking over the role of Team President, Custer will be faced with new challenges as he looks to implement a new identity and vision for the team’s future.

However, his stint at Stewart-Haas Racing has given him some valuable experience to cope with many of the demands that will come with his new role. Joe Custer will also be responsible for his son’s performances at NASCAR’s highest level, where the stakes and pressure will be at an all-time high. Despite it all, the motorsports executive remains bullish about his team’s chances, as he went on to say, “We plan on dominating next year.”

Explaining how the transition has affected his team, Joe Custer said, “We were at around 330 people with Stewart-Haas and now we’re at about 117 so, you know, roughly a third, which is great from a standpoint of providing jobs. I can report that the vast majority of our employees did find jobs and are well places. There’s obviously a couple of exceptions and we’re very concerned about those and working through. As far as how we’re shaping up next year, it’s great.”

What does the 2025 season look like for Joe Custer and his racing family as NASCAR deals with the lawsuit?

The 2025 season will be one of the most challenging but exciting campaigns for Joe Custer. By taking charge of the Haas Factory team, the motorsports executive has a real chance to make his mark on the racing side right from its infancy. His son Cole Custer will also be making a sensational return to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time driver after a two-year break and will hope to hit the ground running at the season-opening Daytona 500 next year.

With Stewart-Haas Racing experiencing tremendous success in the Xfinity Series over the last few years, expectations will be high from the Haas Factory Team as well. Experienced drivers Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will drive for Gene Haas’ side in a full-time capacity during the 2025 campaign, and like a true leader, Joe Custer is willing to take the blame if performances don’t match the expectations.

Sharing his thoughts, Custer said, “If we don’t, I’ll be responsible for that because we certainly have the drivers that can get it done. I didn’t think I could get this level of driver in our cars this next year, candidly. I thought there’d be a little bit of a concern about stability, so we addressed that, we attacked it with our people, with our infrastructure, with our resources, and now with our drivers. The future’s bright.”

Joe Custer is also involved in the ongoing anti-trust lawsuit by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The motorsports executive has had an affidavit filed against NASCAR, as he has claimed that the sanctioning body’s authorities confirmed several times that Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters will be successfully transferred to the two teams, who have purchased them for an estimated total of $50 million.

Even though the plaintiffs have had their preliminary injunction approved by the court, including the sale of both the SHR charters, NASCAR has filed an appeal. The sanctioning body has accepted that two teams from 23XI and Front Row can retain their charters during the lawsuit but has urged the court to reconsider forcing approval of the new charters. The organization has cited “irreparable harm” as a consequence of the verdict, as it claims that they will be tied to Michael Jordan and Bob Jenkins’ teams for a period of seven to fourteen years should the sale go through.

Meanwhile. Joe Custer has claimed that the Haas Factory Team does not have the resources or employees to operate the two teams, should NASCAR’s appeal prove to be successful. The upcoming season will be an entertaining but challenging one for the motorsports executive, who will be tested to his limit, not just with the Haas Factory Team but also because of the ongoing lawsuit and its possible repercussions.