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Cole Custer will drive for Haas's Factory Team in the 2025 season of NASCAR, marking his return to the Cup Series grid for the first time since 2022. Earlier, he drove for the team in three consecutive seasons.
As Stewart-Haas Racing's final season progresses in the Cup Series, Gene Haas is looking for options for the 2025 season. Tony Stewart, who joined the team in 2008 to make it a joint venture, will no longer be a part of the team after this season. They announced earlier that the team would be shutting down their Cup Series operations.
However, Gene Haas will still be running the team as the Haas Factory Team with one charter. The #41 Ford Mustang will be piloted by Cole Custer, who currently races in the Xfinity Series for SHR.
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In his first full-time season in the Cup Series (2020), Custer reached the victory lane once at Kentucky Speedway. That season marked his first full year competing in the championship. While he collected a total of 12 top-10 finishes across his three full-time seasons, his performance typically placed him within the top 20, although he occasionally slipped out of that position.
"I'm ready for this challenge": Cole Custer on returning to the Cup Series with Haas
Despite struggling to consistently challenge for wins in the Cup Series, his stint in the Xfinity Series has been rather successful. He won the 2023 championship with three wins and numerous other top-five finishes. This success has continued this season, with a win at Pocono and numerous top-10 runs.
Making his way back to the Cup Series, Cole Custer is optimistic about the new partnership with Haas. In a team release, he mentioned that his previous experience with the team will hold him in good stead.
"I’ve grown up with Haas Automation, and having their name on my fire suit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in. I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career," he said in a team release.
"Haas Factory Team will essentially be a new race team next year, and it’s going to take all of us to build it into an organization that can go out and win races. I want this opportunity and I’m ready for this challenge."
Cole Custer currently sits at the top of the Xfinity Series standings. While his future in the sport is guaranteed with Haas, another victory in his current championship will only strengthen his ties with the team.
