SHR driver Cole Custer drove to the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship
On Saturday night, they ran three wide for the championship in the final laps of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. It was a thrilling show and Cole Custer picked up his first series title.
The finish was the exact opposite of what we saw the night before. On Friday night, it took four overtime finishes to sort out the NASCAR Truck Series championship.
Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing took the opportunity to knock the Truck Series drivers after the thrilling show on Saturday night…
Phoenix Results: November 3, 2023 (NASCAR Truck Series)
Tony Stewart talks Cole Custer
“His level of maturity. Especially on that last restart, to pick the outside. To get the No. 7 on the outside of him. Cars on the inside and the chaos in 1-2.”
“It’s actually nice. Maybe the Truck Series drivers will pay attention and learn something from tonight. You don’t have to destroy each other to win races and championships.”
“I am super proud of Cole, he won that one on his own. I watched the replay four times and I still don’t know exactly what he did.”
“But, what he did was perfect. It didn’t look good going into [turn] 1. But, whatever he did in the center of 1 and 2 was perfect.”
“It hasn’t been a perfect season. But, at the end, when it counted, they did their job. And Cole drove his ass off tonight.”
“We communicate a lot and that’s something that I preach to all of our teams and drivers. When I met him, he was knee high and couldn’t even look me in the eye, let alone talk to me. It took about two years before he ever said a word.”
“Now, he picks up the phones, calls and says, ‘What do you think? What should I do and what should I be thinking about?’ Really proud of how he’s grown as a man.”
Custer previously ran full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. For 2023, he was demoted to an Xfinity ride at SHR but he ended it with a series championship.
Phoenix Results: November 4, 2023 (NASCAR Xfinity Series)
Tommy Joe Martins also knocked the Truck Series drivers
Tommy Joe Martins is the president of Alpha Prime Racing. Daniel Dye is one of his drivers.
Unfortunately, Dye was injured in a crash during Friday night’s truck race. He was also on the Xfinity Series entry list but he was not medically cleared to race on Saturday after a crash in the Truck race.
He stated via X, “Truck race was the most embarrassing display of driving I’ve ever seen.”
“Daniel Dye was a bystander of an INTENTIONAL wreck. He & his sponsors went out on a limb to race with us and he’s done a terrific job, now this. And Leland has a Q lap off the couch. Mad, sad, all of it.”
Leland Honeyman Jr filled in for Dye.
Links
Cole Custer | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Phoenix Raceway | NASCAR
