Cole Custer responds to Denny Hamlin criticisms, addresses Daytona 500 last-lap wreck

Following two wrecks in the closing stage of the Daytona 500, Cole Custer faced a flurry of accusations from fellow drivers about his potentially over-aggressive conduct on the track.

In an interview with FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass on Tuesday, Custer issued a mea culpa of sorts.

The driver of the No. 41 specifically addressed the wreck that wiped out Denny Hamlin in the final lap, a move that Hamlin deemed way too early. Hamlin ripped Custer for his decision-making. Custer gunned for an opportunity he saw, and the space just wasn’t there.

“There were definitely things that made me want to take that run on the back stretch,” Cole Custer said. “Because I got such a big run from the 19 pushing me, and I was probably a couple car lengths back of Denny at the time. I just tried to take the run. It was the last lap. I tried to take it. I knew I probably should have waited for the front stretch, but it’s one of those things you learn from the next time.”

The Cup Series driver broke down his thought process during the final lap, having seen so much contact elsewhere on the track.

“Then also having the 35 spin out on the front stretch, it was kind of like, man, these guys are all wrecking, you’ve got to get to the lead now,” Cole Custer said. “You just didn’t feel like you had a second to waste.”

Then the apology of sorts.

“But yeah, looking back at it I definitely would agree I wish I would have waited for the front stretch to give myself a little better shot at it,” Custer said.

Cole Custer, of course, was also involved in the biggest wreck of the day. He bumped Christopher Bell, who hit the wall, careened back down the track and eventually made contact with Ryan Preece, sending Preece airborne over the hood of Erik Jones‘ car.

A little too aggressive? Maybe.

But to some extent, Custer also just believes everyone was racing hard and there wasn’t enough room on the track.

“With the wreck, I think at the end of the day it’s just all three or four guys trying to go for the same place at the same time,” he said. “Us and the 11 side drafting and then the 19 ended up hitting me in the left rear and turning me into Denny. But I don’t really fault anybody for that, I feel like everybody’s trying to side draft and push and try to win the Daytona 500. I was happy we had a shot to win and hopefully we can keep it rolling.”