‘Tony Stewart Never Had Your Back’: Cole Custer’s Cup Series Return With HFT Has NASCAR Fans Hyped

Following his second strong performance throughout the year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing P2 in 2024 after clinching the title in 2023, Cole Custer, formerly with Stewart-Haas Racing, is ready to come back to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025. He will be behind the wheel of the #41 Ford for the Haas Factory Racing team, following his shift to Xfinity in 2022 after being pushed by SHR.

After Stewart-Haas Racing ceased its operations in 2024, with Haas opting to retain a charter and continue as a single-car Cup Series team, Custer was promptly confirmed to rejoin the team. But the excitement isn’t just within the team; fans too are thrilled about Custer’s return to the premier division of NASCAR.

The sentiment was evident recently when Haas Factory Team announced his return via a welcome video, stating, “Welcome back to the #NASCAR Cup Series, Cole Custer. The former Xfinity Series Champion will pilot the No. 41 for HFT in 2025,” which received positive reactions from fans.

One fan, enthused by the announcement, exclaimed, “And you will !!! Tony never had your back!!! Thank You Gene for always believing in Cole!!! #41 will surprise everyone this year!!!” Another fan boosted Custer’s spirits, declaring, “LETS GOOO my favorite Xfinity Series driver.” Meanwhile, one supporter simply cheered his return, saying, “Glad to see you back! “

In the video, Custer expressed, “It means a ton to be back in the Cup Series. I mean, the highest level of racing, it’s the pinnacle of our sport. That’s where every driver as a kid dreamed of being. Then you’re competing against the best of the best and get to see what you’re made of. So, I think it’s exciting to race at the top level and hopefully put something great together we can be proud of.”

The 26-year-old had previously experienced the highs and lows of Cup Series racing between 2020 and 2022, securing his first, and so far only, Cup Series win in 2020. However, in 2022, he was replaced by Preece and subsequently relegated to driving a second full-time car for SHR in the Xfinity Series, while also taking on a part-time role at Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series.

Gene Haas, pleased with Custer‘s return to the top flight of NASCAR, commented, “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.”

Chris Buescher’s former lead race engineer will help Custer in 2025.

Beside Custer in the Cup Series, racing under the newly established Haas Factory team banner will be Aaron Kramer, who previously was the lead race engineer for RFK Racing’s #17 team, and will step into the role of Custer’s crew chief.

With Kramer bringing a wealth of experience and expertise from RFK Racing, expectations are high for Custer’s forthcoming performance. Kramer himself is optimistic about their prospects, stating, “I feel like I could be successful in doing it… There’s no reason we can’t be successful right out of the gate.”

Thanks to a technical alliance between the Haas Factory team and RFK Racing, the #41 HFT team will effectively act as the fourth RFK Racing entry. Although not under Tony Stewart’s stewardship, Custer will be in capable hands for his second stint in the Cup Series, ensuring a strong support system for his race efforts.