Cole Custer claims first-career truck win at New Hampshire

Sep 20, 2014; Loudon, NH, USA; NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Cole Custer celebrates in victory lane after winning the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Custer and Matt Crafton had somewhat opposite experiences when it came to Saturday’s UNOH 175 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Custer started on the pole and dominated, leading 148 of the 175 laps that made up the race. Meanwile, Crafton started 30th, last, after failing to post a lap time in qualifying Saturday morning because of an electrical issue. In the end, Custer claimed his first-career win, while Crafton maintained his position atop the points standings with a third-place finish. Darrell Wallace Jr. took runner-up honors.

After claiming the pole, Custer had a hard time getting his truck fired to start the race, but he was able to get it started in time to take the green flag as the pole sitter. As Crafton worked his way toward the front, Custer maintained the top spot. The only laps not led by Custer prior to a caution with about 30 laps remaining came during a cycle of green-flag pit stops between laps 62 and 71. As soon as the cycle completed, though, Custer was back up front.

Crafton had made his way into the top-five by the time trucks began cycling through stops, but he lost some of those positions gained after a problematic pit stop. By lap 111, though, Crafton was up to the third position.

The first 100 laps of the race ran caution free, but the yellow flag waved five times in the final 75 laps, with four of those cautions coming in the final 30. Custer continued to run up front until a call by crew chief Joe Shear Jr. to take four tires while the other front-runners took two with just under 30 laps remaining. As a result, Custer restarted seventh, while Crafton and Wallace restarted on the front row.

"“We took four tires, which was a risky call,” Custer said. “We kind of knew everybody was going to take two, but it was so much faster on four tires. We had to race hard to get back up there.”"

Custer was up to fourth by the time the yellow flag waved again three laps later and had made his way up to third behind Crafton and Wallace when the next caution came out with 15 to go. When the race returned to green, Custer got by Wallace to take second and, as a result, restarted on the front row next to then-leader Crafton after another yellow flag.

"“It was not easy getting up there,” Custer said. “I had to have real good restarts to get up there.”"

On the final restart, Custer got in front of Crafton to take the lead, and Wallace also passed Crafton for second.

"“Bubba Wallace probably helped us out a little bit, Custer said. “I was just worried about keeping him behind me.”"

Johnny Sauter finished fourth, and John Hunter Nemechek was fifth. Finishing sixth through 10th were Cameron Hayley, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, Joey Coulter and Ryan Blaney.

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