Cole Custer crossed the line as the runner-up during the Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway on September 28th, 2024, after being freight-trained by a pair of Toyotas in the closing laps. Custer’s heartbreak was partially because of the No. 81 Toyota TRD Supra of Chandler Smith, who doored Custer’s No. 00 NASCAR Ford Mustang Dark Horse and caused them both to slip up, letting Aric Almirola’s No. 20 Supra to cruise by and win the race.
In a report on NASCAR.com, Custer explained his frustration with the outcome of the race at Kansas, which resulted in a short conversation with the offending Toyota driver.
“I was to his outside and he just put me in the fence,” Custer said. He told Smith that he felt that Smith had “drove him like a [expletive] clown,” then turned his back on the rival driver before he could counter.
“I think us and the 20 [Almirola] were pretty even,” Custer said. “I think we just burned our tires up racing each other for the lead. The 81 [Smith], he just couldn’t run the wall on the long run. I don’t know why, but he just couldn’t. The wall was the place to be on the long run.”
Custer added, “I think it’s just a trend in the whole series. I mean, people just run you in the fence so I’m over it. I understand it’s hard racing but I don’t race like that, so I don’t expect to get raced like that. But now he races me like that, I race him like that.”
Smith, meanwhile, said he understands Custer’s point of view. “I would be just as frustrated. I moved up. I took his air away and took his line away for 10 or so laps there trying to hold him up as long as I can, trying to give me the best shot… The 20 just got to him. So, yeah, it sucks. I understand his frustration. Last week, I was frustrated with some things about Bristol and I completely get it. I understand his point of view.”
Even so, Smith defended himself, saying, “I definitely didn’t put him in the fence.”
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