Cole Custer’s transition from Xfinity Series champion to NASCAR Cup Series competitor has been filled with challenges, as Cole Custer struggles in NASCAR Cup Series competition this season. Entering the upcoming race at Pocono Raceway, Custer finds himself 34th in points, highlighting how the Next Gen car has made racing even more competitive and less forgiving for drivers trying to break through.
Dominance in Xfinity Does Not Translate to Cup Success
Custer has proven his talent in the Xfinity Series by winning the 2023 championship and finishing second in 2018, 2019, and 2024. Despite these achievements, he has not been able to mirror this success since returning full-time to the Cup Series. Now, with just one top-10 finish in the first sixteen races, his struggle is evident.
This Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway will be another test in a season where the competition has grown fiercer. As Custer discussed his experience, he pointed out the dramatic changes in the Cup Series since his last full season in 2022.
“I think the biggest thing I noticed when I first came back (into Cup) is just how good the cars drive, honestly,”
—Cole Custer, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
The emergence of the Next Gen (Gen 7) car has eliminated many of the unknowns that marked the previous generation, but it has also raised the level of difficulty and competition throughout the garage. Custer reflected on the unpredictability of the cars during his initial Cup tenure and the new razor-thin margin drivers now face each week.
“Where now everybody has dialed in these cars so good that it’s just a game of literally thousandths of trying to figure out ways to make gains and beat the guy next to you. The field has really gotten a lot tighter. The cars have gotten to drive better, so you really just have to be 100 percent in every single area.”
—Cole Custer, NASCAR Cup Series Driver
Sparse Top Finishes and a Playoff Drought
Custer’s Cup history shows a steady decline since his rookie year in 2020, when he made the playoffs and finished 16th. In 2021, he failed to make the playoffs and settled for a 26th place finish. The following year, he ended up 25th, again missing the postseason. With only one career Cup Series win at Kentucky in 2020 and just one other top-five in 133 starts, a return to the playoffs this season seems unlikely unless he can clinch a win in the ten races remaining.
A New Challenge as the Lone Haas Factory Racing Team Driver
The offseason dissolution of the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing operation left Custer as the sole driver under the Haas Factory Racing Team banner. Previously, working alongside three teammates offered collaborative advantages, but now Custer must navigate the complexities of the Cup Series almost entirely on his own.
This isolation adds another layer of difficulty for Custer’s campaign. The absence of other teammates on his team has made it even harder for him to gather data and share approaches—resources that can be the difference when the field is separated by mere thousandths of a second each week.
Cole Custer’s continuing struggle mirrors just how much the NASCAR Cup Series has evolved. As driver skill and engineering close the performance gap, even those who excel in other series often find success elusive. The remainder of the season will reveal whether Custer can adapt and find his footing, or if the increased parity in the Cup Series continues to keep him on the defensive.
