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COLE CUSTER – 2018 Charlotte I Race Advance

Event:               Alsco 300 (Round 11 of 33)
Date:                 May 26, 2018
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
Layout:             1.5-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

 

  • The Alsco 300 Marks Custer’s fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
  • In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte, Custer has earned three top-10s and one top-five. His average Xfinity Series finish at Charlotte is 5.6.
  • Custer is competing for his fourth consecutive top-10 at Charlotte and eighth of the season.
  • He has one win, two poles, nine top-five finishes, 28 top-10s and has led 350 laps in 48 career Xfinity Series starts.
  • Custer’s best finish in the eight Xfinity Series races run this season is his fourth-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
  • Custer is fifth in the Xfinity Series driver standings with 299 points, 57 behind leader Elliot Sadler.
  • Custer has earned two pole awards, seven top-10s, one top-five and has led 48 laps thus far in 2018. 
  • In 17 Xfinity Series starts and nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at 1.5-mile ovals, Custer has one win, six top-five finishes and 15 top-10s.
  • In 2017, Custer led the Xfinity Series with 422 points at mile-and-a-half tracks.


Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

 

You have finished fourth, sixth and seventh at Charlotte in the Xfinity Series. What is it going to take to pull off a win?

“In my opinion, Charlotte is one of the toughest mile-and-half tracks we go to, so you take a little pride in running well there. To win, I think you’ll have to be smart adjusting your car to the conditions throughout the weekend and the race. ”

 What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte?

“Coming back to Charlotte is pretty important because you have all of the shop members around and all of their family and friends. It’s an important race for everybody and everyone wants to step up their game to win here. I wouldn’t say Charlotte is my favorite track to race at, but it’s a track where I’ve had some really good runs. There’s no reason why we can’t do that again.”

 What is a lap around Charlotte Motor Speedway like?

 “It’s a really edgy racetrack. Age-wise, it’s in the middle of a grippy track and a really worn-out track. It has a lot of tiny, high-speed bumps throughout the track that will upset the car. It’s a really challenging place to get around. Honestly, it’s one of the most difficult tracks I’ve been to. You have to hit your marks just right, but it’s a fun track.”

How have you adapted to the new composite bodies so far this year?

“The composite bodies haven’t been too big of a change for the drivers this year, so it wasn’t that hard to adapt. For the guys in the shop, they worked extremely hard switching all the cars over and figuring the bodies out, so I have to thank them.”

 

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

 

What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte?

“I’ve attended every race at Charlotte for as long as I can remember. For that reason alone, it makes the track special to me. The fact that I can sleep in my own bed over the race weekend is just a bonus. We’ve been good here in the past, so we’re looking for another strong run to get us back on pace.”