NASCAR: 4 playoff drivers who could be in trouble
By Asher Fair
Playoff drivers in trouble: No. 2 – Cole Custer
Cole Custer’s 2021 season got off to a decent start at Daytona International Speedway in the Daytona 500 and then in the road course race.
But ever since a late flat tire at Homestead-Miami Speedway robbed him of a potential top five finish back in late February, things have been going downhill quite quickly, to say the least.
Last year, Custer needed to pull a shock victory out of his hat at Kentucky Speedway to get him into the playoffs as a rookie; he would not have qualified on points, nor would he have come close. It looks as though he will need an upset victory again this year to do the trick, as his point situation is already quite dire, and he is quickly running out of time.
Through 15 races, Custer sits all the way down in 27th place in the point standings, 134 points below the playoff cut line, and his top finishes are two 10th place finishes at Talladega Superspeedway and Dover International Speedway.
Stewart-Haas Racing are still winless in 2021, and they simply haven’t shown the speed to run up front consistently and contend for wins. The only positive for Custer so far this season is the fact that he isn’t the lowest ranking Stewart-Haas Racing driver.