Cole Custer Brings Home 21st-Place Finish at Nashville Superspeedway.
By Haas Factory Team
LEBANON, TN (May 31, 2026) – Cole Custer and the No. 41 team showed persistence throughout Sunday night's race at Nashville Superspeedway, overcoming early handling issues and multiple setbacks while remaining on the lead lap. After battling his way back through the field on several occasions, Custer brought home a 21st-place finish.
41 Cole Custer
Cole Custer started 20th at Nashville after rain canceled qualifying and delayed the race by more than an hour. The No. 41 HaasTooling.com Chevrolet battled a tight-handling condition throughout the opening stage, forcing Custer to give up track position as the No. 41 team worked to improve the car. A pair of caution periods provided opportunities for adjustments, helping keep Custer on the lead lap despite the handling issues to finish the first stage.
The race began to turn around in Stage Two as strategy and timely cautions helped Custer gain valuable track position. A yellow flag during a cycle of green-flag pit stops allowed the No. 41 team to make a stop on the lead lap and move inside the top 10, with Custer climbing as high as seventh. The track position put stage points within reach before a late incident forced him to spin while avoiding a crash without damage.
Custer went back to work in the final stage, methodically driving through the field and reaching 13th during a lengthy green-flag run. After a scheduled pit stop under green, Custer appeared poised for a solid finish before a caution with 12 laps remaining erased the advantage of the long run. Unable to regain the momentum he had built, Custer slipped backward in the closing laps and ultimately crossed the finish line 21st in his HaasTooling.com Chevrolet.
“It was definitely a tough day, but we made the car better throughout the night. By the end, we were in the ballpark of where we needed to be, just fought some brake issues at the end,” said Custer. “I think we made some gain with this package that we can hopefully take to other tracks. We’ll keep moving in the right direction.”
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway next Sunday, June 7th, with race coverage on Prime set for 3 p.m. ET.
About Haas Factory Team:
Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. New in 2026, Haas Factory will align with Chevrolet. As part of the manufacturer switch, HFT will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which will include using Hendrick-built engines across both series. The team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Chevrolet Camaros, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.