Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer is in the hunt for his second consecutive Xfinity Series championship. While he led quite a few laps at the most recent race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he couldn’t seal the deal as his No. 00 NASCAR Ford Mustang Dark Horse was no match for the No. 21 Chevy Camaro of Austin Hill. Though he finished second and could still be eliminated from the championship, he and his crew are keeping their eyes on the prize since he has a comfortable points cushion that could help him get to the Championship 4.
In a report from NASCAR.com, Custer said that his No. 00 NASCAR Ford just didn’t have the long run speed to challenge Hill at the end of the Homestead race. Though his race car was fast, he lacked what he needed to win.
“Just seem to get loose,” Custer said. “You know on the second to last run, I didn’t feel like we were that bad, but the No. 21 got a lot better. So was a little confused by that, but overall, really solid day. I wish we got the win but it is what it is. [Hill] was just lights out today.”
He added, “They were just really, really good on the long run. The second to last run, they really fell off for whatever reason, and they seemed to pick up a lot of speed that second to last time. So I don’t know, we got kind of free on the long run, but definitely a little frustrating.”
Custer is the only NASCAR Ford still in title contention in the Xfinity division and currently holds a 28-point lead over the fifth-place Playoff driver, Chandler Smith in the No. 81 Toyota TRD Supra. That means if the Round of 8 concluded tomorrow, he’d make it. His crew chief, Jonathan Toney, said that he’s not sweating yet.
“I wish it was about a 128 [point lead],” Toney said. “Cole gets around [Martinsville] there, so if we can give him what he needs, we can take care of business there.”
Custer, for his part, is also looking forward to Martinsville, the only race that stands between the Xfinity Series and the Championship 4.
“We have a good team and we’ve had good runs at Martinsville, so I’m looking forward to it. I think we should be able to take the fight,” Custer said. “We got to bring everything we got, because you never know who’s going to win.”
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