Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Hass Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, met with media members Friday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway prior to practice and qualifying sessions for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
WITH GENE’S ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK, I GUESS THERE WAS ALREADY SOME PLANS WITH THE XFINITY TEAM, BUT KEEPING A CUP TEAM WAS A SURPRISE. ARE YOU HOPEFUL OR ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE PROGRAMS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE FOR NEXT YEAR? “I think for me, whenever I went back to the Xfinity Series, my goal was always to go back to Cup. So, I’ve been trying to work on what I can do to get myself better over the past year and a half. At the end of the day, you try and do as best you can and you hope it all sorts itself out. But I really don’t have much to say or anything right now that’s solidified or anything. So we’re just kind of focused on New Hampshire and trying to win here.”
I ASKED YOUR DAD IF YOU WERE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR AND HE TOLD ME TO ASK YOU. SO HE PUT THE ONUS ON YOU ON THIS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR OR SOME PEOPLE PREFER NOT TO RUN FOR FAMILY? “Yeah, I’d love to. At the end of the day, that’s what my career’s been, I guess. It’s always tied to that relationship. At the end of the day, I think what Gene Haas has done in this sport, it would be a dream come true to get to run that Cup car. I’m focused on this weekend and trying to figure out how to win here. But obviously for me, I’ve tried to go back to the Xfinity series, prove what I can do and try and make the most of it. And you just kind of try and hope it all sorts itself out from there.”
— Ford Performance —