Cole Custer 'fortunate' to return to Cup Series with Haas Factory Team in 2025

The defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is headed back to the Cup Series in 2025. Cole Custer is being called back up. This time, he suits up under the Haas Factory Team banner but will make his way back to the No. 41 car.

For all of you Cole Custer fans, good news! Your guy is going Cup racing and your 41 gear from 2020-2022 is still valid. Jokes aside, Custer has earned his way back to the top level of NASCAR with a championship and now, leading the points in 2024.

Custer announced the news and made it official earlier today. During qualifying, he talked on the TV broadcast about 2025 and his excitement.

“I mean obviously ever since you’re a little kid you dream of going Cup racing,” Custer said. “So, I’m really fortunate just for the opportunity and all the support Haas has in me. I’m excited to get going and get to work on it. I think we have a lot of great resources with that RFK alliance. … I think we should be able to go out there and as long as we get a great group together I think we can go out and do some special things.”

Cole Custer is a driver who is going to bring experience and a steady hand. Is he ever going to win a Cup Series championship? I would be absolutely shocked. Will he be able to help this team develop as a single-car operation and make moves towards improving? Absolutely.

Out of the rubble of Stewart-Haas comes Haas Factory Team. There are a lot of things going on with that team that will interest NASCAR fans. Apparently, they have been talking to Hailie Deegan about an Xfinity Series ride in 2025.

Cole Custer back with Haas in the Cup Series

With one career win and a few bright performances in his three years of Cup race, Cole Custer doesn’t have a flashy record. Then again, looking at how SHR has performed in the last four seasons, maybe it wasn’t all on Custer.

Today during his announcement Custer spoke on what this means, his relationship with Haas, and more.

“I’ve grown up with Haas Automation, and having their name on my firesuit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in. I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career,” Custer said in his press release. “Haas Factory Team will essentially be a new race team next year, and it’s going to take all of us to build it into an organization that can go out and win races.

“I want this opportunity and I’m ready for this challenge.”

Winning races will be a tall task for Cole Custer. He will be tasked with carrying an entire organization. It lives and dies by his performances. However, with an alliance with RFK Racing, it can’t go too wrong, can it?