Cole Custer Highlights Biggest Challenge of Fatherhood as a NASCAR Driver

Back in July of this year, Cole Custer welcomed his first baby, Callahan Brian Custer. Despite the joy, the Xfinity Series driver has found juggling racing with parenting a real challenge due to the relentless travel demands of his schedule.

Speaking in a pre-race interview in Las Vegas, the 26-year-old driver shared his reflections on his new role as a dad. When questioned about the most unexpected aspect of fatherhood, Custer said,

“I don’t know. I mean I feel like obviously the sleep is tough, so you have to figure all that out. It’s just non-stop. I mean, you always have something to do it seems like, and I think you just get more and more of a rhythm with it.”

He further appreciated his wife’s adept handling of their new lifestyle, particularly in his absence. He lamented not having his family with him in Las Vegas, acknowledging “It’s hard because you’re not there with them all the time.” Yet, he praised his wife, Kari, for her excellent management at home with their son.

Custer also shared a lighter, albeit stressful, anecdote from home. Their dog mistakenly chewed on a part of their baby’s bottle, necessitating surgery to remove it. Despite this mishap, Custer reflected positively, saying that besides that incident, “It’s been great so far.”

Michael McDowell and Joey Logano delve into the complexities of juggling family life with professional life

McDowell, in a conversation with The Athletic, opened up about his aspirations away from the asphalt. He dreams of embarking on a horseback bow elk hunt, a plan now postponed due to recent family developments:

“We just had another baby, so I’m not sure when that’s going to be. We thought we were getting close because my oldest is 15 and before the baby, our youngest was 10. We’re like, ‘Oh, we’re almost there’ — and now we’re not.”

Logano, on the other hand, offered insight into maintaining harmony between his personal and professional worlds. He practices a straightforward rule: staying off his phone when spending time with his family. Although he makes exceptions for critical calls from team heavyweights like Roger Penske and Walt Czarencki, he prioritizes family interactions.

Logano underlined the necessity of balance, stating, “If you’re going to do this for a long time, you have to find balance to do it correctly. If you’re going to give 100 percent to your job, you have to give 100 percent at home, too, because if things aren’t right at home, you’re probably not going to be at your best at your job, either.”

Given his successful stint in the playoffs so far, no one would even think about questioning him about his work ethic.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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