It’s been more than two years since Cole Custer was informed of his exile from Stewart-Haas Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series program. Sure, that doesn’t seem like a super long time, but in that 24-month period, so much has changed.
Custer is a NASCAR Xfinity Series champion now and is hoping to win back-to-back titles with a strong run Saturday at Phoenix Raceway. Plus, he’s heading back to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.
But, not with Stewart-Haas Racing… at least not really. SHR is shutting down at season’s end, and from the ashes will rise Haas Factory Team, the vessel for Custer’s second chance at NASCAR’s premier division.
And that’s just the professional side of things. In August, Cole and his wife Kari welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Callahan into the world.
Just two years after losing his ride in the Cup Series, and one year after being crowned a NASCAR Xfinity Series champion for the first time, things are completely different for Custer.
“I think I am definitely a lot different than a couple of years ago, just from having a wife and kid now and everything is a little different,” Custer said on Thursday. “I think having confidence is the biggest thing. Knowing what to look for. Knowing when you are struggling a little bit, what are the things you need to focus on. Those are the things you kind of build on.”
This experience, while maybe not the most pleasant initially, has turned into a blessing for the Ladera Ranch, California native, who has not only learned about himself as a person but also how to optimize his performance as a racecar driver.
“A lot of confidence,” Custer said, when asked about what going back to Xfinity has taught him. “I think having won a championship here before and building on that and coming back and winning races and being with a great team and build on things and learn how to work with your team and get the most out of everything. It has been a great experience, and hopefully, we can use all that going back to Cup.”
It’s been a poignant week lead-up to Saturday’s Championship Race for Custer, watching as Stewart-Haas Racing, the place where he spent much of his childhood, celebrates its final weekend as a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series team.
“It is obviously bittersweet,” said Custer. “We had a going away party this week and seeing all those people who have worked in the shop for so long and put so much into this team,” Custer said. “Our team has used every single note we could take. So many people have had a part in this car that is showing up this weekend. It would mean so much to end this on a high note. It would be really cool to see Tony [Stewart] and Gene [Haas] go out on top.”
Of the four drivers that will be battling it out for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title on Saturday, Custer has the best average finish at Phoenix (7.7) and joins Justin Allgaier as one of two drivers who have won at the one-mile oval.
That single victory at the Avondale, Arizona-based racetrack came last Fall in the Championship Race and was accompanied by a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship trophy.
“You definitely have some confidence with it but at the same time it doesn’t matter,” Custer said. “I think this is a totally different year and we have to go out there and execute a whole weekend. I think our team does a really good job at executing weekends and maximizing, so we just have to go out there and do it one more time.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race from Phoenix Raceway will take place on Saturday, November 9 at 7:30 PM ET. Live coverage of the event will be on The CW, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
