Cole Custer soars down the frontstretch at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
FORT WORTH, Texas — If any driver brought positive vibes to the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, it was Cole Custer.
The defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion has already won a cowboy hat and six shooter. He was also representing the race sponsor on the hood of his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
Although he did not score his first win of the 2024 season, Custer was solid as a rock all weekend long. He started on the outside of the front row and scored fifth- and second-place stage points en route to a fifth-place finish.
The Ladera Ranch, California, native has six straight top-10s and four top-fives in eight NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
“We had a really solid day,” Custer said. “Obviously, we wanted to win for Andy’s Frozen Custard and get that custard cone in victory lane. It was a hard-fought day for sure. We fought for every point out there and made the most of it.”
Custer has five career Xfinity series wins on 1.5-mile tracks, as well as his lone NASCAR Cup Series checkered flag. Custer was competitive from the beginning of the weekend, as he was ninth fastest in Friday’s practice before qualifying 0.022 seconds shy of the pole.
Cole Custer has six straight top-10 finishes. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
At the initial start of the race, Custer fell back to third and remained in the top-five for the rest of the opening stage.
As Justin Allgaier took control of the race, Custer did his best to assert himself among the best challengers. He boasted some of the fastest laps in the second 45-lap stage to earn nine valuable points.
As the race progressed toward the later stages, it appeared that Custer’s teammate, Riley Herbst, would be the one to give Allgaier a hard time for the checkered flag before Allgaier got into a slower Leland Honeyman to end a 67-lap green flag run.
As another quick caution followed a wild restart, it was Ryan Sieg and Sam Mayer out front to settle the win among themselves. As for Custer, he steered clear of the chaos around him to bring the car home fifth.
Custer remains second in points, 19 points behind Chandler Smith.
Although the lack of wins is frustrating, Custer knows that based on the way the team is performing, one might be just around the corner.
“We just need that little bit more,” Custer said. “We are executing at a really high level right now. Our pit crew is doing great, and our guys are doing great, not making mistakes.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series rolls on to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend. Last time the series raced there, Custer rallied to a fourth-place finish.
