What’s Happening?

After an unceremonious exit from NASCAR’s top division just two years ago, Cole Custer is set to complete the long road back. On Saturday morning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Custer announced that he will take the reins of the No. 41 car for the newish Haas Factory Team full-time starting in 2025. Haas will remain a Ford outfit and have a technical alliance with RFK Racing.

• Cole Custer previously spent three full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing from 2020 through 2022. He won one race at Kentucky in 2020 but quickly fell off afterward. In 2021 and 2022, he finished 26th and 25th in points, respectively. As a result, SHR demoted him to the Xfinity Series, with Ryan Preece taking Custer’s seat for 2023.
• However, Custer rebounded quickly. In 2023, he stayed in the top four in points throughout most of the season with two wins, and he took home his third win in the season finale at Phoenix to capture the 2023 Xfinity Series Championship. Fast-forward to 2024, and Custer is currently the Xfinity Series points leader to go along with a win at Pocono Raceway.
• Haas Factory Team was formed from the ashes of Stewart-Haas Racing. SHR announced in May that they would shut down at the end of the season, but team co-owner Gene Haas has elected to keep one of the organization’s four charters to field a single-car Cup Series team. Haas also plans to run a two-car Xfinity Series operation. Cole Custer’s dad, Joe, will be the President of the organization.

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