'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer has emerged as a top contender to pilot the Haas Factory Team charter next season. Custer is a former Stewart-Haas Racing Cup driver who competed in the Cup Series from 2020 to 2022.
After weeks of speculations, two-time NASCAR Cup Series Championship-winning team Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed the disheartening news of discontinuing it's operations. SHR, which lost crucial drivers like Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola at the end of last season, has undergone a period of financial turmoil lately, resulting in the team selling three of it's four charters next season.
Tony Stewart, part-owner of the team, will lose his ownership, and a rebranded SHR will continue under the banner of Haas Factory Team. It was confirmed that Gene Haas, who is worth $250 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), will keep one Stewart-Haas Racing charter in his Haas Factory Team next season, as he does not wish to lose his presence in the sport.
Trending
Journalist Bob Pockrass has reported that Custer's ties to the Haas organization make him the frontrunner for the HFT seat. This familial connection solidifies Cole Custer's candidacy.
Cole Custer, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, previously competed in NASCAR's top flight for three seasons. However, following a lackluster three-year stint in the Cup Series from 2020 to 2023, Custer was dropped back to SHR's NASCAR Xfinity Series team.
The 26-year-old driver bounced back strongly. He won three Xfinity Series races last season, including the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, emerging victorious for SHR in what was a tumultuous season for the team in the Cup Series.
With his previous stint with the team, his sponsorship deals with Haas Automation, and Joe Custer's crucial role as HFT's president, Custer remains a top candidate for the vacant HFT spot next season. It remains to be seen, however, if the reports come to be true.
What were Cole Custer's words about a potential HFT move next season?
Notably, Cole's father, Joe Custer, who has served as Chief Operating Officer of SHR, will transition to the role of president for the Haas Factory Team.
When asked about the potential move to HFT, Custer expressed his enthusiasm. Speaking to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass, Custer stated (via Racing America):
"Yeah, I'd love to. At the end of the day, that's what my career's been, I guess. It's always tied to that relationship. At the end of the day, I think what Gene Haas has done in this sport, it would be a dream come true to get to run that Cup car. I'm focused on this weekend and trying to figure out how to win here."
Reflecting on his journey, Custer added:
"But obviously for me, I've tried to go back to the Xfinity series, prove what I can do and try and make the most of it. And you just kind of try and hope it all sorts itself out from there.”
Charging towards a successful title defence, Cole Custer leads the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings at the time of writing. After 16 races, the 26-year-old driver has 589 points to his name despite being winless.
