In what might be the least surprising news since finding out that the water is wet, Cole Custer will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025. The 26-year-old, after a brief sabbatical from the NASCAR Xfinity Series, is back in the big leagues. The announcement, which surprised the club by saying that “we knew it coming,” was made Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup series are contested this weekend.
Haas Factory Racing, which sounds like a dystopian novel, is the new moniker for Stewart-Haas Racing, a small team emerging from the ashes as a one-car team. Gene Haas, the guy who loves a little bit of automation and tools, is supporting this company again with his Haas Automation and Haas Tooling.
Gene Haas began his journey as a NASCAR team owner in 2002 with a single car, which grew into the Stewart-Haas empire in 2009 after partnering with Tony Stewart. Now, after a messy divorce that would surprise Spanish soap opera enthusiasts, Haas is getting back to basics with his new, leaner team. Cole Custer, the prodigious scion of Joe Custer, will be the pilot. Joe, a former Stewart-Haas executive, ran daily operations while Gene flirted with Formula One and Tony Stewart dabbled in NHRA racing.
The new team, Haas Factory Racing, retains one of NASCAR’s golden tickets: the Charter, which promises access to racing. While the rest of the Stewart-Haas drivers have found new homes, Ryan Preece, most recently in the No. 41 Ford, finds himself disappointed when Cole Custer returns to racing next season.
Let’s not forget about credentials here. Cole Custer is not far behind. The reigning NASCAR Like a wayward son sent to boarding school, Cole found himself overthrown in favor of Preece and ended up at Rick Ware Racing.
Now, with the wisdom and courage that comes from some rocky seasons of the Xfinity Series, Cole is back and Preece, despite his commendable efforts, finds himself.
“The NASCAR Cup Series is tough,” Gene Haas said. “But Cole is coming back wiser and tougher. We are very pleased to have him in our colors and in our race car. “
In fact, it has been difficult for Preece, who has only controlled two of the top 10 positions since taking over from Custer. The new Haas Factory Racing team, still supported through Ford and with a technical alliance with Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing, is in a difficult situation. position for the 2025 season.
So how has Cole replaced his absence from the Cup series?
“I’ve probably matured a lot,” he said. “I’ve been the quietest guy, but I think that’s where I wanted to grow a little bit, is how you work with your other people and how you get the car, how you want it every weekend. I think racing that was something vital and obviously now that I have a wife and a child on the way, everything has calmed down a little bit before, I don’t think, but it is a little more solidified about who I am and what we are looking for and what I deserve to be looking for in sports and also in. the automobiles.
Cole Custer’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series? Well, it’s like your favorite rock band coming together: predictable but incredibly satisfying.
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