With a donut within the win column by the primary 17 races of 2024, Cole Custer is seeking to defend his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Collection victory on the Chicago Avenue Race.
Even with no win on the stat sheet, Custer has put collectively a particularly spectacular 2024 marketing campaign, main the Xfinity Collection factors standings with 14 top-10 finishes.
With a Cup Collection alternative on the Haas Manufacturing unit Group doubtless on the horizon in 2025, the second half of Custer’s 2024 Xfinity Collection season will not imply a lot within the grand scheme of issues. Nonetheless, placing collectively a constant season solely bolsters his inventory with every passing week, and successful probably the most distinctive race on the schedule for the second 12 months in a row will surely make him a viable Cup Collection possibility for any crew that might come calling.
It needs to be recognized {that a} small asterisk could possibly be positioned subsequent to Custer’s 2023 Chicago win — a race that was known as attributable to climate after simply 25 of 55 laps — however the Ladera Ranch, Calif., native nonetheless placed on a clinic within the Windy Metropolis, main wire-to-wire in NASCAR’s first-ever avenue race.
Custer does not want a win to make the postseason; he at the moment sits 221 factors above the playoff minimize line with 9 regular-season races remaining. Nevertheless it by no means hurts to refill on all-important playoff factors, particularly with the regular-season championship being removed from a assure.
Custer has come near victory on a number of events in 2024, but when the No. 00 crew had been to place collectively a successful efficiency on Saturday, it will solidify Custer as a reputable championship risk.
In a race more likely to run the whole thing of its scheduled 50-lap distance, Custer must battle the likes of AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen for the victory. If he can accomplish that efficiently, his recognition amongst Cup Collection crew homeowners will solely proceed to extend.
