NASCAR: 5 driver moves we want to see for 2023
By Asher Fair
NASCAR driver moves we want to see: No. 2 – Cole Custer replaced
At some point, questions need to start being asked about Cole Custer’s lack of production behind the wheel of the #41 Ford.
While it’s obvious that Stewart-Haas Racing haven’t been at their best since the end of the 2020 season, all three of Custer’s teammates have found victory lane since then.
Custer has finished no higher than ninth place.
He is the son of team executive Joe Custer, so his future with the team may seem secure, but there are clearly much better options available.
And perhaps the 24-year-old Ladera Ranch, California native is simply a better fit for the team in the Xfinity Series. He secured seven wins for the team in 2019 before his Cup Series promotion; current driver Riley Herbst has been nowhere near as successful, as he is still seeking his first win in his third season (second with the team).
Meanwhile, Custer earned SS-Green Light Racing their first ever Xfinity Series win in his start with them behind the wheel of the #07 Ford at Auto Club Speedway back in February.
Some have suggested that perhaps he could remain in the Cup Series with the Stewart-Haas Racing-affiliated Rick Ware Racing, but it would seem as though an opportunity to compete for an Xfinity Series championship would be a bit more of an attractive option than simply trying to keep a team out of charter repossession territory by running in the top 33.
Of course, maybe he gets replaced by Kyle Busch, and then the first two scenarios in this article can’t both happen at once. But at least one of them needs to happen.
And the Stewart-Haas Racing talk isn’t done just yet…