Cole Custer, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, has seen his life recently change. As he prepares for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff race in Las Vegas and takes steps toward a new role in the Cup Series, Custer is also balancing the challenges of fatherhood.
The birth of his son, Callahan Brian Custer, during NASCAR’s Olympic break, introduced a new level of responsibility to the driver. This transition into fatherhood has been busy, to say the least.
Recently, disaster struck, as Custer and his wife Kari had one more stressful moment to add to the chaos. Their dog, Honey, a Portuguese Water Dog, ate a part of a baby bottle, necessitating surgical intervention.
“She’s all good. She’s recovering. We had a little bit of a scare there,” Custer shared via NBC Sports.
Cole Custer, driver of the #00 3D Systems Ford, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 18, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NASCAR champion Cole Custer balances new fatherhood and racing while preparing to transition to the Cup Series.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
“The sleep is tough. Having to figure that all out and everything. It’s just non-stop. You always have something to do. I think you get more and more in a rhythm with it, and my wife Kari has done a great job with it, adapting to it,” Custer admitted.
Despite the chaotic start to fatherhood, Custer is gradually finding his footing as all parents need to do.
On the tarmac, the driver is focusing on the upcoming Xfinity Series playoff race in Las Vegas, with the hopes of securing a spot in the championship race in Phoenix next month. This race is crucial as Custer currently stands second in the series rankings, just seven points behind Justin Allgaier, and 11 points clear of the cutoff line.
The stakes are high, as Stewart-Haas Racing, co-owned by NASCAR veterans Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, relies on Custer to potentially secure a championship, marking the end of their NASCAR legacy as the team is set to close operations at the end of the season. For Custer, who has shown impressive form at Las Vegas with top-three finishes in his last two races there, the pressure is tangible.
Custer’s journey in NASCAR began early, bolstered by the legacy of his father, Joe Custer, the team president of Stewart-Haas Racing. Since making his debut in the Xfinity Series in 2016 with JR Motorsports, Custer has carved out a respected position in the world of NASCAR.
His accomplishments include winning his first Xfinity Series race in 2017 and a Cup Series race in 2020, where he was named Sunoco Rookie of the Year. Returning to the Xfinity Series in 2023, Custer secured his first championship, driving the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. As he transitions to the Cup Series next season, driving for the revamped Haas Factory Team, Custer is ready for a new chapter in his racing career.
“You just don’t get many chances to win championships. To have two years where you can go win championships and hopefully go back-to-back, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, so you have to give it everything you’ve got,” he said.
“You just have to go out there and maximize what you got. I think you put yourself in those situations where you try and be aggressive, you’re giving yourself a 25% chance of wrecking probably. … You digging yourself a hole in trying to be aggressive and then wrecking for one spot, that’s how you put yourself in a must-win situation.”
