Texas A&M University, which supported the Stewart-Haas Racing team previously, will serve as the primary sponsorship partner for Cole Custer and the No. 41 Haas Factory Team in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
Custer will pilot a No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, which features digital camo as the base and will be draped with Texas A&M’s iconic maroon as well as the university’s logos.
The 27-year-old Custer, who won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2023, is honored to carry the Texas A&M colors in addition to the digital camo base design, which is a nod to the university’s longstanding commitment to the military.
“I’m proud to carry the Texas A&M branding on our No. 41 Ford Mustang this season,” Custer said in a press release. “It was a productive partnership in 2024, so we look forward to expanding the relationship and raising awareness around Texas A&M’s commitment to our country’s military personnel. The Aggie Core Values align well with our philosophy at Haas and resonate with the NASCAR fanbase.”
The partnership will continue past the Coca-Cola 600 as Texas A&M University will serve as a full-season associate sponsorship partner for Haas Factory Team as well. In the same breath, Texas A&M University announced a partnership with NTT IndyCar Series driver Felix Rosenqvist, which will place the University’s logo on the driver’s helmet.
As a result, Texas A&M University will be very visible on one of racing’s biggest days, which happens to fall on Memorial Day Weekend.
“These partnerships with HFT, Cole and Felix present big, natural avenues to consistently communicate externally what Texas A&M stands for with great visibility, value and shared values,” said Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M. “Motorsports are especially well-positioned to deliver cost-effective and efficient national reach with millions, deep fan engagement and loyalty, and a values-aligned audience for Texas A&M University. In the end, you may only see the driver in the winner’s circle, but propelling every lap is a car, a team, a community of supporters, as well as strategy, innovation, and creativity at the highest levels. That’s Texas A&M University; that’s how Texas A&M Aggies think and act, and that’s the kind of country we are working to shape.”
As part of NASCAR’s 600-miles of Remembrance campaign during the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend, Custer will carry the name of Captain Ronald Forrester on the windshield of his No. 41 race car. Forrester was an Aggie, who went on to serve as a Marine aviation navigator. Forrester was listed as missing in action after his plane crashed during a combat mission in North Vietnam, but recently his remains were returned home after 51 years.
Forrester’s family will be in attendance at Charlotte Motor Speedway to cheer Custer on as he attempts to collect his second career NASCAR Cup Series win.
As part of the partnership, Haas Factory Team will provide Texas A&M students hands-on learning opportunities as the team will select two students for paid summer internships at its Kannapolis, NC race shop. The team will also host 10 students at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 3 for a behind-the-scenes experience, where the students will shadow Haas Factory Team engineers in the garage and around the track.
