Cole Custer to replace Brad Keselowski in Phoenix qualifying after wife goes into labor

Cole Custer is preparing for a chance at the NASCAR Xfinity Series title on Saturday, but his day is even more action-packed than that.

Prior to readying for his Xfinity trek, Custer will qualify Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford on Saturday afternoon. Keselowski’s wife, Paige, is going into labor, so Custer will be doing him the favor.

It was originally reported that Custer would be on standby on Sunday, just in case Keselowski had to miss Sunday’s race. It remains to be seen if that’s still the case, but it’s for sure that Custer will be qualifying for Keselowski on Saturday, as RFK released a statement on the matter.

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— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) November 4, 2023

“Brad Keselowski will not qualify the No. 6 car today, due to his wife, Paige, going into labor,” RFK Racing revealed. “In place of him, Cole Custer will qualify the car later this afternoon.

“The expectation is that Brad will return to Phoenix Sunday to drive the No. 6 in the NASCAR Cup Series Race.”

Alas, it’ll be fascinating to see what Cole Custer can do in RFK’s equipment during qualifying, but his jam-packed day is something to keep an eye on Saturday.

Cole Custer returning to Xfinity Series with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024

For the 2024 season, Cole Custer isn’t going anywhere. The Xfinity Series driver is sticking with Stewart-Haas Racing for next season. This means that Custer will not move back up to the NASCAR Cup Series with SHR. Aric Almirola is leaving the No. 10 car after this season, so a replacement will likely come soon. 

Cole Custer is still fighting for an Xfinity Series championship. He has wins at Portland and Chicago on the street course. For that and a trip to the Championship 4, Custer has earned himself another year in the No. 00. 

In a short and simple message, Custer let fans know, “I’m back.”

Cole Custer ran in the Cup Series for a few years. While he won at Kentucky as a rookie, things just never panned out at that level. Last year with the Next Gen car, it looked clear that Custer needed more development time in a lower-pressure situation.

In the Xfinity Series, Custer can run for wins and be consistent. He had 7 wins in the 2019 season before moving up to the Cup Series. While this season hasn’t been as impressive in terms of wins, he’s been a top-5 car more times than not in these playoffs.