Cole Custer to Return to Cup Series in 2025 with Haas Factory Team

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – He’s back.

Two years after his demotion down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Cole Custer will be making his triumphant return to the Cup Series in 2025 as he takes the reins of the lone Hass Factory Team Ford next season.

“This is really exciting. Ever since me going back to the Xfinity Series, to get the opportunity back at the Cup level again was the biggest goal,” Custer said.

“So, to have this opportunity to get to drive for Haas Factory team next year is huge for me. I think we can do some really special things with the resources that we have as a team. We’re ready to just get to work and get some great people. I think we’ll be able to compete with the best.”

Custer, now 26 years old, climbed up the NASCAR ranks from the Truck Series, to Xfinity and finally making his Cup Series debut in 2020. However, after a three-year experiment, in which he won one race, but finished outside the top-20 in points in two of the three seasons, the decision was made to send him back down to the Xfinity Series.

The move has paid off, with Custer winning multiple races and the championship in his first season back and 19 races into the 2024 season currently sits as the points leader.

When Stewart-Haas Racing announced it was folding in its current form at season’s end and Haas Factory Team rising in its ashes, the focus turned to which of the drivers in the SHR pipeline would be taking the No. 41 seat next season. Ultimately, it was decided that Custer was that driver to lead them into the future.

“It wasn’t cut and dry. There were a lot of drivers put on the list and quite frankly, Gene didn’t make the decision until not very long ago,” said Haas Automation Director of Motorsports, Carl Cline.

“There were pros and cons and drivers and who would represent Haas Automation and their growth with their product and their new company, Haastooling.com. So there was a lot that went into it and it was a couple of months of trying to figure that out. At the end of the day, Cole’s pedigree, if you will, from winning, Gene wants to compete and he expects the team to be put in place, to put Cole in place to win races, that is the goal. Joe’s job is to build that team and get those people in place to make Cole competitive and at that point, it’s Cole’s job to get the job done.

“Gene wholeheartedly believes that he can do that and he has proven he can do that. The Xfinity champion, he’s won everything he’s driven. So we don’t expect anything different from that side, but it wasn’t cut and dry for sure.”

In addition to announcing that Custer would be its driver for next season, team officials also announced that Haas Factory Team would be entering into a technical alliance with RFK Racing starting in 2025 to help strengthen the bond between the Ford teams in NASCAR’s top level.

“Taking all the resources that we bring to the table and combining it with their success and the resources they have, we look forward to RFK and Haas Factory team competing for wins and championships shoulder to shoulder,” said team president Joe Custer.

“So along with Ford as a partner, we’re lacking no resources going into next year. People-wise, human capital, I’m happy to say we’re well on the way there to putting together the team capable of competing for wins, and we’re focused on everything related to human capital, from the pit crew to engineering resources. We’re there for next year prepared.

“We won’t have any excuses going into next year. We’ve got the driver, we’ve got the team, we’ve got the relationship, we’ve got the OEM. We’re all set. We will continue to run our Xfinity program at the highest level. There are things that we’re going to add to the program for next year that will make it even more competitive. We appreciate what NASCAR’s doing to make that series thrive, and so we’re excited about that as well. My job is to provide the resources necessary for the team to be successful and we’re well on its way.”

With Custer now moving to the Cup Series, that leaves a vacuum in the Xfinity Series with the two Haas entries there. The team noted that they would like to have current driver Riley Herbst stay in one of those rides and have made him an offer to do so, but noted that he has been exploring other options as well.

Team officials explained that they have been talking with a number of other drivers to fill those seats, including drivers such as Hailie Deegan, who ran the first 17 races of the 2024 season with AM Racing before team and driver amicably split after Nashville.

Deegan is also in the Ford development pipeline, so she remains a candidate for one of those seats, but no decisions have been made as of yet to solidify the team’s Xfinity lineup in 2025.

“I’m pretty excited about our Xfinity program,” Joe Custer said. “I’m going to brag on it a little bit. We started a few years ago, naturally, and Kevin Harvick and Cole, that first year helped us build it, and Richard Boswell and there’s a number of people that were instrumental. But when you look at what it has produced, three people, maybe four in the Cup Series. I’m not sure statistically since we started that there’s a more successful program that’s delivered more drivers to the Cup Series.

“That has resulted in no lack of interest in our cars next year. Candidly, there was concern about stability and whether we were going to be here at the same level as Stewart-Haas operated. I can tell you we are, if not a bit higher level. Ford is a big supporter of the program, the Xfinity program, and there was no lack of interest in drivers.

“We’re getting close to announcing where we’re at on drivers for Xfinity and I think you’ll see that we intend to run for the same goals this year. Put both our drivers into the Final 4 and compete for the championship in Phoenix both this year and next year and the year after.”