Cole Custer Wins NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship One Year After Dropping From Cup Series

By Gary Gastelu |

Nov 4, 2023

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Cole Custer won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix in an overtime finish to claim the title a year after being relegated from the Cup Series by the team.

REPOST to congratulate Cole Custer!

He wins his FIRST @XfinityRacing championship! ðŸ† pic.twitter.com/UCByeq0oGP
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 5, 2023

The race was a sharp departure from Friday’s wreck-filled Truck Series finale and saw the Championship 4 drivers — Custer, John Hunter Nemecheck, Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier — battling it out at the front of the field in the closing stages of the race.

The final lap of Cole Custer's @XfinityRacing Championship victory! ðŸ™Œ pic.twitter.com/diu4ohnJXp
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 5, 2023

A crash with five laps to go brought out a final yellow flag that set up the two-lap shootout overtime finish, with Custer leading Sheldon Creed and Allgaier across the finish line.

Custer is slated to return to the Xfinity Series for the 2024 season, but Stewart-Haas needs to fill the Number 10 car that is being vacated by the retiring Aric Almirola and has not yet confirmed a driver.

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Rumor has it that Noah Gragson, who was suspended for personal conduct this season and left Legacy Motor Club, is a top candidate to take the seat.