Cole Custer

Cole Matthew Custer (born January 23, 1998) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Haas Factory Team and part-time in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro SS for SS-Green Light Racing with BRK Racing. He is the son of Joe Custer, the team president of HFT. He is the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.

Racing career Early career Custer began racing quarter midget at the age of four. In 2011, Custer won the USAC National Focus Young Guns Championship. The following year, Custer began racing late models, winning ten races and earning Rookie of the Year honors.

Custer's No. 00 Pro Series East car at Richmond International Raceway in 2013 In 2013, Custer joined the K&N Pro Series East, making his debut at Bristol Motor Speedway Custer would win again at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, also from the pole. He finished eighth in the series standings.

In the 2014 season, Custer won the Pro Series West opener at Phoenix International Raceway, holding off Greg Pursley and Brennan Newberry on the green–white–checker finish.

2014–2016: Camping World Truck Series

In 2014, Custer joined Haas Racing Development to run nine races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, making his debut in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. In qualifying for the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park, Custer set the track record with a lap speed, becoming the youngest pole winner in NASCAR history.

At New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2014, Custer won the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 175 from the pole, becoming the youngest winner in the history of NASCAR's national touring series at sixteen years, seven months and 28 days.

On January 12, 2015, JR Motorsports announced that Custer would drive a truck for them in ten races in 2015. On June 13, 2015, Custer won the Truck race at Gateway Motorsports Park, holding off the No. 23 truck of Spencer Gallagher, after the dominating trucks of Erik Jones and Matt Crafton were involved in two wrecks at laps 142 and 152.

When he turned eighteen years old in 2016, JR Motorsports began fielding the No. 00 truck for Custer full-time, competing for the Rookie of the Year title. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the Chevrolet Silverado 250, John Hunter Nemechek and Custer were battling for the lead when Nemechek bumped Custer before running both Custer and himself off-road, pinning Custer to the wall. Before the winner was declared, Nemechek was tackled by Custer; Nemechek would be named the winner.

2017–2019: First Xfinity Series Stint

In 2016, Custer made his Xfinity Series debut for JR Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro. He drove the No. 88 for JR Motorsports to the career-best fourth place finish at Charlotte in the Hisense 4K TV 300.

On September 16, 2016, Stewart–Haas Racing announced that Custer would drive the No. 00 Ford Mustang full-time in 2017, with Haas Automation as the primary sponsor. Custer began the 2017 Xfinity season with a crash at Daytona, finishing 37th. He rebounded the next week at Atlanta, finishing tenth.

After making the playoffs in his first appearance, Custer began making a surge at the end of the season, leading the most laps in Chicago and Kansas. Custer missed the Final Four by two spots after racing head-to-head with Daniel Hemric, the next week, Custer put on a clinic by leading the most laps, winning both stages and en route to his first Xfinity win at the Homestead–Miami Speedway in South Florida. The next year at the fall Texas race, Custer got his second career win when he passed Tyler Reddick on the last lap, clinching his spot in the Championship Four.

In the 2019 season, Custer scored wins at Fontana, Richmond, Pocono, Chicago, Kentucky, and Dover. He finished second at Darlington but was declared the official race winner after Denny Hamlin was disqualified when his car failed to meet height requirements during post-race inspection. At the end of the Kansas race, Custer got into a fight with Reddick on pit road. Custer finished the 2019 season second in points after finishing second again to Reddick at Homestead.

2020–2022: First Cup Series Stint

In March 2018, Custer joined Rick Ware Racing for his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished 25th. He returned for the June Pocono race, where he would finish 26th. At Richmond Raceway in the fall, he qualified a surprising tenth, though he would go on to finish 26th.

On November 15, 2019, Stewart–Haas Racing announced that Custer would replace Daniel Suárez in the No. 41 Ford in 2020. He scored his first Cup top-ten finish at Phoenix, while his maiden top-five came at Indianapolis.

A week after Indianapolis, Custer won his first Cup race in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, passing Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Blaney on the last lap. He became the first rookie to win in the Cup Series since Chris Buescher in 2016, the first rookie to do so in a non-shortened race since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007, and the 33rd driver to win a race in all three NASCAR national touring series. He finished sixteenth in the points standings and was awarded the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Custer remained with Stewart–Haas for the 2021 season. However, his results were inconsistent, and he missed the playoffs after the regular-season finale at Daytona as he was 26th in the points standings with just two top tens at Talladega and Dover.

Custer returned to the Xfinity Series competition in February 2022 at Auto Club Speedway, driving the No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing in collaboration with Stewart–Haas Racing. He would end up winning the race after leading eighty laps. It was his tenth career Xfinity Series win, and the first win for SS-Green Light Racing.

On October 11, 2022, Custer and crew chief Mike Shiplett were fined 100,000 after Custer intentionally slowed down and checked up on the last lap of the Charlotte Roval race, allowing his SHR teammate Chase Briscoe to advance to the next round of the playoffs. In addition, Shiplett was indefinitely suspended, and the No. 41 team was docked fifty owner and driver points.

2023–2024: Back to the Xfinity Series

On November 16, 2022, SHR announced that Ryan Preece would replace Custer in the No. 41 in the Cup Series in 2023 while Custer would move back to the Xfinity Series, driving a second full-time car for SHR. The team announced on November 23, 2022, that he would drive the No. 00 once again. Custer started the 2023 season with a ninth-place finish at Daytona. He scored his first win of the season at Portland. Custer also won at a rain-shortened Chicago street race leading every single lap. Following the Michigan race, the No. 00 was docked twenty driver and owner points and five playoff points, and crew chief Jonathan Toney was fined 25,000 after the post-race inspection revealed unapproved splitters.

On July 3, 2023, Rick Ware Racing announced that Custer would return to the Cup Series to drive the No. 51 at Atlanta, New Hampshire, and Pocono.

On November 2, 2023, Custer announced he would continue in the No. 00 in 2024. Two days later, Custer would go on to win his and Stewart–Haas's first Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway after holding off Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek on an overtime restart.

Custer started the 2024 season with a thirteenth-place finish at Daytona. He scored wins at Pocono and Bristol, as well as the regular season championship. Despite not winning a race during the playoffs, Custer stayed consistent enough to make the Championship 4. After the race at Martinsville, Custer was involved in a post-race altercation with Chandler Smith.

On May 28, 2024, Stewart–Haas Racing announced it would shut down its NASCAR operations at the end of the season.

2025: Return to Cup Series

On July 20, 2024, Custer announced his Cup Series return in 2025 with the No. 41 of Haas Factory Team, which is a reorganization of Stewart–Haas Racing. He started the 2025 season with a 21st place finish at the 2025 Daytona 500. Custer struggled throughout the season, with eighth at Mexico, fourth at the summer Daytona race, and fifth at the fall Talladega race being his only top-ten finishes.

Personal life Born in Ladera Ranch, California, Custer is the son of Joe Custer, who is the team president of Haas Factory Team and the chief operating officer of Haas F1 Team. HFR co-owner Gene Haas' company, Haas Automation, sponsors Custer.

Motorsports career results

Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Top 5 Top 10 Points Position 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Ken Schrader Racing 14 2 5 6 452 8th NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2 0 0 1 66 38th 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Haas Racing Development 9 1 2 6 302 25th NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Bill McAnally Racing 7 1 2 2 234 20th NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 3 1 2 2 121 20th 2015 ARCA Racing Series JR Motorsports 3 1 2 2 560 41st NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 10 1 2 4 305 22nd NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Bill McAnally Racing 1 0 1 1 40 43rd NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 1 0 0 1 35 47th 2016 ARCA Racing Series Ken Schrader Racing 1 0 0 1 390 69th Athenian Motorsports 1 0 0 1 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series JR Motorsports 23 0 5 14 502 10th NASCAR K&N Pro Series East HScott Motorsports 1 0 1 1 41 44th NASCAR Xfinity Series JR Motorsports 5 0 1 2 0 NC† 2017 ARCA Racing Series Mason Mitchell Motorsports 1 0 0 0 175 88th NASCAR Xfinity Series Stewart–Haas Racing 33 1 7 19 2288 5th 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Rick Ware Racing 3 0 0 0 0 NC† NASCAR Xfinity Series Stewart–Haas Racing with Biagi–DenBeste 33 1 14 26 4035 2nd 2019NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Sunrise Ford Racing 1 0 1 1 40 39th NASCAR Xfinity Series Stewart–Haas Racing with Biagi–DenBeste 33 7 17 24 4035 2nd 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Stewart–Haas Racing 36 1 2 7 2202 16th 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Stewart–Haas Racing 36 0 0 2 575 26th NASCAR Xfinity Series SS-Green Light Racing with Rick Ware Racing 1 0 0 1 0 NC† 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Stewart–Haas Racing 36 0 0 3 589 25th NASCAR Xfinity Series SS-Green Light Racing 5 1 2 3 0 NC† 2023 ARCA Menards Series West High Point Racing 2 0 1 1 70 26th NASCAR Cup Series Rick Ware Racing 6 0 0 0 0 NC† NASCAR Xfinity Series Stewart–Haas Racing 33 3 14 21 4040 1st 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stewart–Haas Racing 33 2 14 23 4035 2nd 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Haas Factory Team 36 0 2 3 486 32nd † As Custer was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2018 Rick Ware Racing 51 Ford DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV KAN CLT POC MCH SON CHI DAY KEN NHA POC GLN MCH BRI DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV TAL KAN MAR TEX PHO HOM 63rd 01 2020 Stewart–Haas Racing 41 Ford DAY LVS CAL PHO DAR DAR CLT CLT BRI ATL MAR HOM TAL POC POC IND KEN TEX KAN NHA MCH MCH DRC DOV DOV DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV KAN TEX MAR PHO 16th 2202 2021 DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL BRD MAR RCH TAL KAN DAR DOV COA CLT SON NSH POC POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 26th 575 2022 DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR BRD TAL DOV DAR KAN CLT GTW SON NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH RCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 25th 589 2023 Rick Ware Racing 51 Ford DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH BRD MAR TAL DOV KAN DAR CLT GTW SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC RCH MCH IRC GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR 52nd 01 RFK Racing 6 Ford PHOQL† 2025 Haas Factory Team 41 Ford DAY ATL COA PHO LVS HOM MAR DAR BRI TAL TEX KAN CLT NSH MCH MXC POC ATL CSC SON DOV IND IOW GLN RCH DAY DAR GTW BRI NHA KAN ROV LVS TAL MAR PHO 32nd 486 2026 Chevy DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN CLT NSH MCH POC COR SON CHI ATL NWS IND IOW RCH NHA DAY DAR GTW BRI KAN LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -* † – Qualified for Brad Keselowski

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2020 Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 12 37 2021 27 11 2022 31 20 2025 Haas Factory Team Ford 30 21 2026 23 24

O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 2016 JR Motorsports 5 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 100th 01 88 CLT POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV 2017 Stewart–Haas Racing 00 Ford DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL CLT DOV POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 5th 2288 2018 Stewart–Haas Racingwith Biagi–DenBeste DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 2nd 4035 2019 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 2nd 4035 2021 SS-Green Light Racingwith Rick Ware Racing 17 Ford DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 85th 01 2022 SS-Green Light Racing 07 DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 75th 01 2023 Stewart–Haas Racing 00 Ford DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR CLT PIR SON NSH CSC ATL NHA POC ROA MCH IRC GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 1st 4040 2024 DAY ATL LVS PHO COA RCH MAR TEX TAL DOV DAR CLT PIR SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 2nd 4029 2026 SS-Green Light Racingwith BRK Racing 0 Chevy DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR CAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN DOV CLT NSH POC COR SON CHI ATL IND IOW DAY DAR GTW BRI LVS CLT PHO TAL MAR HOM -* -*

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2014 Haas Racing Development 00 Chevy DAY MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW KEN IOW ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 25th 302 2015 JR Motorsports Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 22nd 305 2016 DAY ATL MAR KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 10th 502

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points

ARCA Racing Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Racing Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 2015 JR Motorsports 00 Chevy DAY MOB NSH SLM TAL TOL NJE POC MCH CHI WIN IOW IRP POC BLN ISF DQN SLM KEN KAN 41st 560 2016 Ken Schrader Racing 54 Chevy DAY NSH SLM TAL TOL NJE POC MCH MAD WIN 69th* 390* Athenian Motorsports 05 Chevy IOW IRP POC BLN ISF DSF SLM CHI KEN KAN 2017 Mason Mitchell Motorsports 78 Ford DAY NSH SLM TAL TOL ELK POC MCH MAD IOW IRP POC WIN ISF ROA DSF SLM CHI KEN KAN 88th 175

K&N Pro Series East NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Ref 2013 Ken Schrader Racing 00 Chevy BRI GRE FIF RCH BGS IOW LGY COL IOW VIR GRE NHA DOV RAL 8th 452 2014 Bill McAnally Racing 00 Chevy NSM DAY BRI GRE RCH IOW BGS FIF LGY NHA COL IOW GLN VIR GRE DOV 20th 234 2015 Toyota NSM GRE BRI IOW BGS LGY COL NHA IOW GLN MOT VIR RCH DOV 43rd 40 2016 HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks 98 Toyota NSM MOB GRE BRI VIR DOM STA COL NHA IOW GLN GRE NJM DOV 44th 41

ARCA Menards Series West ARCA Menards Series West results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pts Ref 2013 Ken Schrader Racing 00 Ford PHO S99 BIR IOW L44 SON CNS IOW EVG SPO MMP SMP AAS KCR 38th 66 Chevy PHO 2014 Bill McAnally Racing 00 Chevy PHO IRW S99 IOW KCR PHO 20th 121 Toyota SON SLS CNS IOW EVG KCR MMP AAS 2015 KCR IRW TUS IOW SHA SON SLS IOW EVG CNS MER AAS PHO 47th 35 2019 Sunrise Ford Racing 22 Ford LVS IRW TUS TUS CNS SON DCS IOW EVG GTW MER AAS KCR PHO 39th 40 2023 High Point Racing 55 Ford PHO IRW KCR PIR SON IRW SHA EVG AAS LVS MAD PHO 26th 70