To absolutely no surprise, Cole Custer will be the Haas Factory Team driver in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.
Custer Will drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, which will have a technical alliance with RFK Racing and receive manufacturer support from Ford Performance.
The announcements were made in the Cup Series on Saturday morning in the media center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in advance of the Brickyard 400.
Custer is the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series but also the current points leader as well. He is fresh of a victory at Pocono Raceway last week.
This is the sole Stewart-Haas Racing charter leftover from the impending closure of the team co-owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas with the latter retaining this one charter.
The team president is Joe Custer, longtime SHR executive, and Cole’s father.
“Cole has represented Haas Automation for more than half his life and he’s delivered results every step of the way. He just wins, and he’s proven that repeatedly,” said Haas.
“On his way to winning the Xfinity Series championship last year, Cole really carved out an identity for himself, on the track and off. He brings home trophies and he races people clean. He’s earned a lot of respect from his peers, and he’s a genuine personality whose hard work resonates with our customers.
“The NASCAR Cup Series is tough, but Cole is coming back wiser and tougher. We’re very happy to have him in our colors and in our racecar.”
Additional information, like a crew chief and additional partners will be made at a later date. The team will operate out of the current Stewart-Haas Racing shop, which will also house two NASCAR Xfinity Series teams.
The elder Custer provides support and car builds for other Ford teams, a key component of SHR’s current business.
As for his son, he returns to the Cup Series after winning once in 2020 over a three year stint from 2020-2022.
“I’ve grown up with Haas Automation, and having their name on my firesuit is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in. I’m driven to win for Gene and everyone at Haas Automation because they’ve been such a big part of my career,” Custer said.
“Haas Factory Team will essentially be a new race team next year, and it’s going to take all of us to build it into an organization that can go out and win races. I want this opportunity and I’m ready for this challenge.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.