Cole Custer survived two late restarts to score the NASCAR Xfinity Series season finale win at Phoenix Raceway and his first championship.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver led 96 of the 202-lap race, including the bell lap, to ensure triumph in the Valley of the Sun.
An overtime restart saw Custer briefly lose the lead to Championship 4 competitor John Hunter Nemechek. Though a three-wide battle for the lead and the title between himself, Nemechek and Justin Allgaier went Custer’s way as they took the white flag.
From there, Custer held on to give SHR their first Xfinity Series championship.
While it was easier said than done, Custer felt the championship trophy was out of reach amidst his fierce, three-wide battle in the final stages.
“I thought it was over. I mean, I went from first to third and I was able to shift the car all night and the Doug Yates horsepower worked out and pulled me off the corner,” Custer said after the race. “I can’t believe we won that thing after going back to third on that restart, but I can’t say enough about these guys.
“I mean, we started the year off and it was a struggle and we kind of had to dig deep with each other and really talk about how to get better. To see how much this group has grown through the year and to be a part of something, I knew I wanted to work with JT (Jonathan Toney, crew chief). “I knew that he was the guy that could make it happen and I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else,” Custer continued.
“I just can’t thank Gene Haas enough. He’s given me opportunities and I wouldn’t be here without him. I can’t thank him enough, and Ford Performance, Haas Automation, everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s awesome to bring one back to Stewart-Haas right now. Man, I’m gonna enjoy this. I’ve been waiting to hear Wayne on the radio for a few times now, so I’m pumped.”
Custer’s story is well documented. After three straight seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series aboard the No. 41 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, the 25-year-old was sent back to the Xfinity Series due to a lack of results.
That didn’t deter Custer from swinging for the fences with a new opportunity.
“You get knocked down a little bit and you just want to prove that you can go out there and do it,” Custer said. “I think these guys have just really always believed in me all year and I just can’t thank them enough for giving me really fast race cars and still believing in me when things weren’t going great.”
The final lap of Cole Custer's @XfinityRacing Championship victory! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/diu4ohnJXp
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 5, 2023
Another Miss For Allgaier
As Custer celebrated with victory doughnuts on the Phoenix frontstretch, the rest of his Championship 4 competitors were left with the bitter taste of defeat.
Allgaier was the next playoff driver to finish in third, behind non-title competitor Sheldon Creed. It was Allgaier’s sixth Championship 4 appearance that came up empty. Last week, the JR Motorsports driver scored a walk-off victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to advance into the championship race.
Early in the race, Allgaier spun after contact with Nemechek sent the No. 7 Chevrolet back to 35th. He’d rebound quickly to become a threat.
Though in the end, Allgaier’s effort weren’t enough. After the race, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. consoled his driver, with Allgaier keeping a positive mindset through the adversity.
“I told him I’m happier this year with the effort and I’m not as sad leaving tonight,” Allgaier said. “I can’t give any more than I gave right there. That was all I had. We just came up short.
“Like I said, last year I left here gutted, heartbroken, just miserable. I’m going to walk out of here tonight, I’m going to hold my head up high knowing that we gave it all we had. The sun is going to come up in the morning, and on Monday we’re going to go back to work.”
Nemechek’s Stellar Year Comes Up Empty
If the Xfinity Series championship recipient was based on number of victories, Nemechek would’ve run away with the trophy based on his series-leading seven wins on the year.
Nemechek looked strong for much of the race, including the Stage One win and contending at the front. Though it was all for not, with Nemechek’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota fading from the front three to 28th on the final lap.
“Drove in, and it didn’t turn. I don’t know if we had a right front start going down or what exactly it was, but just drove in and didn’t turn,” Nemechek said.
“Man, I hate it for our guys, hate it for Toyota TRD, Pye-Barker. Toyota GR Supra was really fast, but drive down, it doesn’t turn, it’s not a very good thing. Then once we got pinched in the fence there off of 2, it kind of hurt the right sides even more. I think we had a right rear start going down, as well.
“It sucks to end up where we finished. Had a really strong effort all day. Proud of this whole 20 crew. Proud of this whole group.”
It was the 26-year-old’s final race with JGR as he’ll make the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club next year.
Mayer’s First Title Round
In his first fight in the Championship 4, Sam Mayer crossed the start/finish line fifth, crediting the JR Motorsports driver with a third-place finish in the standings.
Mayer contended within the top 10, but wound up having to watch his title rivals duke it out in the end.
“The last two restarts were hectic. We were sixth overall,” Mayer said. “We had our work cut out for us. We somehow made it happen on the first one and God blessed us with a second one and gave us another chance at it. Just a little bit short.”
While disappointment is inevitable, Mayer is already looking ahead to another season aboard the No. 1 Chevrolet as he looks to build on a season that saw him secure four victories.
“I hope it proves that my name belongs here, that’s the whole deal with the Xfinity Series,” Mayer said. “I’m going to work even harder next year. I feel like I was at 100 percent this year. That was my best right there.
“My best is going to be even better next year, so I’m looking forward to getting to Daytona, starting the year off right instead of upside down, and finish it right instead of third.”