Like the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race the night before, the NASCAR Xfinity Series “go-home” race wasn’t without controversy. Similarly to the Truck race, Cole Custer found himself in a situation where he did not have to win the race in order to advance to the Championship 4. Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was in must-win territory. Late in the race, Smith put the bumper to Custer’s 00 Ford after hard racing for several laps. It wasn’t anything aggreges. It was just a typical Martinsville bump-and-run. Custer washed up the track but ultimately only lost one position in the exchange.
Following a late-race caution, Custer, from third, chose to restart on the outside directly behind Chandler Smith. After the green and heading into the next corner, Custer sent Smith up high, costing him several positions on the track. This ultimately eliminated Smith from Championship 4 contention. After the race, Smith approached Custer, and the two exchanged words. Then, Smith slapped Custer before being separated by NASCAR officials. You can watch the exchange in the clip below.
Tempers flare on pit road after the race! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Iiss8Et2VI
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 2, 2024
Both drivers were approached post-race and had a chance to give their say on the matter. Cole Custer, explaining his side of the story, says, “What goes around comes around.” Custer sighted some of the other times Smith had raced him aggressively. You can watch his full reaction here:
Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was very displeased with Custer post-race. He more-or-less accused Custer’s punt to be premeditated. You can watch his reaction below as well:
Here, you can watch the contact that sparked it all:
That does it for this bit of news, Daily Downforce readers! Whose side are you on? Was Smith’s move fair game? Was Custer overly aggressive? Or was it the opposite? Let us know what you think and be sure to keep it tuned in here all week for all of NASCAR’s and The Daily Downforce’s latest!
