COLE CUSTER (HAAS FACTORY TEAM) FORD
2024 DRIVER FANTASY POINTS: Did Not Compete
2025 FANTASY NASCAR RANK: 30TH
* The 2025 ranking are based on the driver’s projected points scored for the 2025 season and not his predicted finish in the Cup Series standings. The rankings are based on the driver’s performance last year, momentum heading into the 2025 season and the strength of the driver’s team.
2024 RECAP / 2025 PREVIEW: What a year it was for Cole Custer and what a year it was for Stewart-Haas Racing. Custer competed full-time in the Xfinity Series for the second consecutive season. He won the Xfinity Series Championship in 2022 and he finished second last year. Custer will now be the lone driver for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series, but the team will run under a new name. Tony Stewart gave up his ownership in the team, so now Stewart-Haas Racing will become the Haas Factory Team. They will have an alliance with RFK Racing and Aaron Kramer will serve as the Crew Chief. Kramer was the lead engineer for the No. 17 car with Chris Buescher last year. It has been a tough off-season for Haas Factory Team as they tried to sell their charters and transition into a new company. It will be interesting to see if the reduction from four cars to one car helps or hurts the Haas Factory Team in 2025.
SUPERSPEEDWAY VALUE (DAYTONA, TALLADEGA, ATLANTA)
Cole Custer did not compete in any Cup Series races last year. That does not mean he will be a rookie in 2025. Custer has six races at Daytona and seven races at Talladega on his resume. His average starting position at Daytona is 21st and his average finishing position is 23rd at the World Center of Racing. Custer also has an average starting position of 26.3 and an average finishing position of 21st at Talladega in the Cup Series. Driving a Ford should help Custer on the Superspeedways. The Mustangs have been able to run up front at these tracks and Custer has the talent to compete at the Superspeedways. Custer would be a good pick for your DFS lineups “if” he qualifies outside the top-25, with a good chance to score place differential points
(Cole Custer did not compete in the Cup Series last year. His average finishing position on the Superspeedways in the Xfinity Series was 21.3)
SHORT TRACK VALUE (PHOENIX, RICHMOND, MARTINSVILLE, BRISTOL, GATEWAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, IOWA)
It has been a while since Cole Custer competed in a short track race in the Cup Series, but I am sure he will get his grove back quickly. Phoenix Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway were two of the best tracks for Custer when he was a full-time driver in the Cup Series. Custer finished 16th, 16th and 13th in his last three races at Phoenix. He also finished 8th in his last race at Bristol. Custer was hit or miss at Martinsville and he was not very good at Richmond. We just need to take a wait and see approach with Custer this year at the short tracks. If he runs well at Phoenix and Martinsville early in the season, we can consider the No. 41 car as a “punt play” in our DFS Contests.
(Cole Custer did not compete in the Cup Series last year. His average finishing position on the Short Tracks in the Xfinity Series was 6.2)
INTERMEDIATE TRACK VALUE (LAS VEGAS, KANSAS, CHARLOTTE, TEXAS, NASHVILLE AND DOVER)
Cole Custer was at his best on the intermediate tracks in the Xfinity Series. He finished second at Las Vegas, fifth at Dover and second at Kansas. I doubt that success will translate into the Cup Series. The cream rises to the top at these tracks. It will be hard for a single-car team to compete with Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. Custer should be faded in Fantasy Live at the intermediate tracks, but he could have some value in DFS Contests if his price is cheap and he qualifies outside the top-20, with a chance to score some place differential points.
(Cole Custer did not compete in the Cup Series last year. His average finishing position on the Intermediate in the Xfinity Series was 7.5)
HIGH TIRE WEAR TRACK VALUE (DARLINGTON, MICHIGAN, HOMESTEAD)
One of the skills that made Cole Custer a good driver for the Cup Series is his ability to manage his tires over a long-run. Custer was the best driver last year in the Xfinity Series on the high tire wear tracks. He won the pole and finished 3rd in the first race at Darlington and he started 21st and finished 2nd in the second race at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” Custer also finished 2nd at Homestead. Darlington was the only high tire wear track that Custer had some success at when he was a full-time Cup Series driver. Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece ranked 6th and 7th for Stewart-Haas Racing at the high tire wear tracks last year. I would not be surprised to see Custer have some of his best runs in 2025 at these tracks. He is definitely a driver you will want to keep an eye on in practice and if the No. 41 car has some speed, pull the trigger and get Custer into your DFS lineups.
(Cole Custer did not compete in the Cup Series last year. His average finishing position on the High Tire Wear tracks in the Xfinity Series was 9.5)
ROAD COURSE TRACK VALUE (COTA, SONOMA, WATKINS GLEN, CHICAGO STREET, MEXICO AND CHARLOTTE ROVAL)
Cole Custer is one of the more underrated drivers in the Cup Series on the Road Courses. He has 14 road course races in the Cup Series on his resume and his average finishing position at these tracks is 17.1. His two best tracks are Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval. Custer has an average finishing position of 19th at Watkins Glen and an average finishing position of 17th at the Charlotte Roval. There are still better choices to use in your Fantasy Live lineups at the road courses, but Custer could have some value in your DFS lineups, if the price is low enough.
(Cole Custer did not compete in the Cup Series last year. His average finishing position on the Road Courses in the Xfinity Series was 11.8)
Best Tracks for Cole Custer: 1) Indianapolis, 2) Pocono, 3) Dover, 4) Darlington, 5) Bristol
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* Team Information from Jaysky.com
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