SHR Xfinity Duo Looking To Make A Daytona Statement

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Cole Custer and Riley Herbst are looking to make a statement in Friday night’s Wawa 250 at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs looming ahead.

Custer, whose lone win this season came at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway in July, ran into trouble last weekend at Michigan Int’l Speedway.

After Herbst spun from inside the top five off the front bumper of Ryan Sieg, due to a misjudgment while making a pass for position, Custer was caught up in the aftermath of the lap-48 wreck, sustaining damage that took him out of contention for a win.

Throughout the race, Custer also experienced several right-front tire issues because of his fender damage, worsening an already-rough day with additional unscheduled pit stops.

Finally, with 17 laps to go, crew chief Jonathon Toney called Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to the garage area, resulting in his first DNF since an accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Despite his troubles last weekend at the two-mile oval, the 26-year-old Custer has experienced a career resurgence in his second stint in the Xfinity Series. He won the series crown last year, and this season has started his title defense with nine top fives, 16 top 10s, and an average finish of ninth.

Custer’s success has also prepped him for a step back up into the NASCAR Cup Series. Next year, he’ll run the No. 41 Mustang Dark Horse for the rebranded Haas Factory Team, with an technical alliance with RFK Racing.

At Daytona Friday night, Custer is looking to continue his momentum from this summer, despite the hiccups at Michigan.

“I think overall our season has gone well. We obviously didn’t show the speed we did last year at the beginning part of 2023, but as we got to the summer months, I feel like the No. 00 team really hit our stride,” said Custer. “We were one of the cars to beat all summer. There’s been bad luck, especially last weekend at Michigan, but one bad race doesn’t make or break your season at this point. We have a win and that gets us into the playoffs.”

Custer and his No. 41 team are looking toward another week of contending at Daytona, but also using it as a time to experiment.

“We have the opportunity to experiment because of that win [at Pocono] so once we get to the playoffs, we can hopefully figure out how to win all the way to the championship,” he noted. “This season has been great, and we’ve welcomed some new partners like Fanttik. Hopefully we can give them a good run this weekend at Daytona.”

That experimentation will include Custer digesting and assessing each lap at the World Center of Racing. The team will look to adjust their plans to each situation that presents itself on track, as extra reps for the two superspeedway dates in the postseason: Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on Sept. 7 and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 5.

“Your plan is always changing,” said Custer of superspeedway racing. “There can be like 15 situations that could happen, and no matter what situation, you have to know what to do when presented with each one.

“Honestly, you have to take these races lap-by-lap to see what kind of scenario you’re in and then adapt from there. You can’t have a solid plan because it’s always going to change, and you’re forced to adapt to whatever comes your way.”

Custer will look to add to his narrow regular season point lead over rival Justin Allgaier, who won his second race of the season last weekend at Michigan. The Ladera Ranch, Calif., native currently sits 12 points ahead of Allgaier entering Daytona.

Before igniting the lap-48 caution, Herbst’s day at Michigan had been going well. He started second and competed among the top 10 throughout the first stage.

The 25-year-old, like his teammate Custer, has experienced season highs this summer. In July he collected his second career Xfinity Series win at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, further positioning himself as one of NASCAR’s top young prospects.

Herbst has four top fives, nine top 10s, and 79 laps led, but has said recently he has options in all three NASCAR national series for his future. What was made clear at Michigan, however, is that he will not join the rebranded Haas Factory Team next year in the Xfinity Series, with Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer occupying those two seats.

However, the Las Vegas native has made a strong case for staying in the NASCAR garage and looks to improve further on his career resume at another historic venue.

“Winning at Daytona would mean a lot. It’s one of those iconic racetracks like Indianapolis that everyone around the world knows,” said Herbst. “Daytona is anyone’s to win, but it’s still special.

“When you’re a winner at Daytona, it puts you in a different history book. I’ve gotten wins at two very different tracks. We have one win on the season, so we know we can take chances now and Daytona is one of those that we can just go for the win and not have to worry about points.

“That hasn’t been the case in the past few seasons. I know the No. 98 team will give me a fast car, so I think we’ll be in contention this weekend if we just stay out of trouble.”

Herbst sits sixth in the regular season point standings through 21 races, 23 points back of A.J. Allmedinger for fifth.

When asked if his recent Daytona success was skill or luck, Herbst had a mixed opinion.

“Honestly, it’s a little bit of both,” he admitted. “You have drivers who are just strong superspeedway racers, so I do think it’s a skill to know how to run there. You know how to stay out of trouble but also have speed. At these races, it’s all about being there at the end.

“Sure, you want to get stage points and run well, but if you’re super aggressive too early, you can put yourself out of the race. So you have to be smart, but there is that element of luck.”

Herbst added that situations vary depending on variables outside a driver’s control.

“We’ve been on both ends – having a great day and being caught up in an accident not of our own doing. I think this No. 98 Monster Energy team will have a shot at the end of this race if we can just stay out of trouble,” he said. “I’m excited to get back down to Daytona with them.”

Herbst and Custer both have had recent Daytona success, with two top fives and six top 10s between them on the Daytona high banks since 2021.

Both drivers will look to finish the year strong, but also make names for themselves as pillars of the sport’s future in the process.

Coverage of the Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola from Daytona is slated for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.