Custer clears opening to NASCAR playoffs

A four-wide battle coming to the white flag in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway was the opening Cole Custer needed. The 22-year-old NASCAR Cup Series rookie knew what he needed to do, and it worked to perfection Sunday.

“I just knew I had to get to the top, and I knew I didn’t want to get put three-wide,” Custer said. “My spotter Andy Houston did a great job of making sure he kept me in the right spots and everything. Those few restarts before I had gone to the top, and it worked really good, and you’re able to keep so much momentum up, so I was like, I have to get to the top here and see what happens.

“The 4 (Kevin Harvick) and the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) got together, and it kind of opened the door for me to get a lot momentum on them, and it played into our favor.”

Custer put his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to the outside of Truex, Harvick and Ryan Blaney down the frontstretch and had the preferred lane. Blaney got out of shape when he hit the bumps on the apron and shot back up the track into Harvick, which gave Harvick’s car a tire rub. By the time they charged into Turn 1, Custer had already cleared the trio and didn’t look back as he scored his first career win in the Cup Series.

“We were so good all day; our car was so good,” said Custer. “It wasn’t the easiest track to pass on, so we were kind of stuck back there, but that was the best car I’ve ever driven in my life. Everybody at SHR brought an unbelievable car . ...

“It definitely was not the start to the year that we wanted. We were definitely way off at some places, but this was by far an unbelievable car. We put it all together, and I just can’t thank everybody enough.”

Truex finished second with Matt DiBenedetto taking third. Harvick crossed the finish line fourth, followed by Kurt Busch in fifth.

Custer goes from 25th in the points standings to clinching a playoff berth. He led five laps in his first career victory, which came in his 20th start.

“I’m surprised, yes,” said Custer. “We have definitely done a lot better job these last few weeks . ... I think we still have a ways to go, we can do a lot better for sure, but I think we’re to the point now where we can race with these guys, and we can take advantage of it when we’re near the front.”