If it hadn’t been for the seesaw battle that Riley Herbst won, Cole Custer would have won twice this week. He entered into the big race on the back of ‘good news’ that is nothing short of a win for the 26-year-old. Back in the big league, Custer will be driving for the Haas Factory Team in 2025. And well, the SHR driver came agonizingly close to celebrating his triumphant return by driving to the victory lane at Indianapolis, leading Pennzoil 250 with just three laps to go.

However, a dramatic finish saw Riley Herbst overtake him, capping off one of the most thrilling conclusions in recent Xfinity Series races. After all, in the final three laps, three different drivers took the lead.

So close, yet so far

NASCAR’s return to the iconic 2.5-mile oval, three years after competing on the track’s road course, was met with much fanfare and enthusiasm. Cole Custer finished on pole during qualifying, recording a time of 53.705, closely followed by his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Riley Herbst. Fresh off his win at Pocono Raceway, Custer was eager to hit the ground running at Indianapolis, with the hope that he could secure his second win of the season. Dominating the race with his teammate Riley Herbst, the pair swapped the lead late in Stage 3, when Herbst overtook Custer with two laps remaining to go on and win the race.

Speaking to Frontstretch, Cole Custer spoke about narrowly missing out on a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old said, “Honestly, I felt like it was just a disadvantage to be leading. If you’re leading, it seemed like you’d get really tight after about 15 laps, but if you were second or third, or in traffic, it would free your car cup and it would save the right front tire. When I was in second, I had a good, long-run car. When I was leading, I didn’t have a good long-run car. We just needed one less lap, you know. I think if we had one less lap, we would’ve been kissing the bricks, but awesome. Really happy for Riley and that whole team, they did a great job all day, and awesome for SHR to get the one-two finish.”

Despite Riley Herbst overtaking Cole Custer with just three laps to go, the drama was far from over. The maneuver paved the way for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola to drive through as well, and his Toyota took the lead on Lap 99. However, Herbst, who had the faster car, took the all-important lead on Lap 100 to secure the victory while his teammate Cole Custer finished in second place, securing a dramatic 1-2 result for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Cole Custer can consider himself unlucky, as the race was one lap too long, stopping him from winning consecutive victories in the Xfinity Series. The No. 00 Ford Mustang driver continues to lead the series with 761 points, having secured five poles, nine top-five results, and 16 top-ten finishes in the 20 races he has competed in. With all the negativity surrounding Stewart-Haas Racing’s impending departure from NASCAR, and the announcement of his Cup Series return, it seems like Cole Custer will happily take the runner-up finish under the circumstances.

Cole Custer gets a second chance at NASCAR Cup Series dream

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Reigning Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer will get another shot at NASCAR’s top division, having been selected as Haas Factory Team’s driver for the 2025 season. It was NASCAR’s worst-kept secret, with Cole’s father Joe Custer serving as Team President. The 26-year-old will drive the No. 41 Ford in the Cup Series next season, as mentioned in the announcement made at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During his first stint in the Cup Series, Custer won just one race in three full seasons, at Kentucky Speedway, and secured just one other top-five result in 108 starts during that period. The 26-year-old will hope to do a lot better this time around.

Speaking about his stint with the Haas Factory Team, Cole Custer said, “To get an opportunity back in Cup was the biggest goal. To have this opportunity to get to drive for Haas Factory Team next year is huge for me, and I think we can do some really special things with the resources we have as a team. We’re ready to get work and get some great people, and I think we’ll be able to compete with the best.” Expressing his optimism for the 2025 season, Custer went on to say, “Along with Ford as a partner, we’re lacking no resource going into next year.”

As per the announcement, the Haas Factory Team will maintain a technical alliance with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and will receive additional support from Ford Performance. The single-car team will hope to hit the ground running in the Cup Series next season and to secure some great results with Cole Custer behind the wheel. He may not have won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but Cole Custer won where it matters most, getting back into the NASCAR Cup Series.

Do you think Cole Custer was unlucky at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Let us know in the comments!