Cole Custer named 2020 Rookie-of-the-Year

AVONDALE, Ariz. — At the conclusion of Sunday’s Season Finale 500, NASCAR Cup Series rookie Cole Custer was officially awarded with Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

Custer wrapped up the 2020 campaign with a 28th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway, ending the year with five laps led, one victory, two Top-5 finishes and seven Top-10 finishes.

“Can’t thank everyone enough for this year, not the easiest year to be a rookie in 2020, but to have people that stay behind you and push you to be better means the world,” Custer said post-race on social media.

“We can hang our hats on a lot this year and I can’t wait to dig into our notebook to get after it in 2021.”

Custer was the only rookie to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs via his win in July at Kentucky Speedway.

Custer’s competition for the award included Christopher Bell, Quin Houff, Brennan Poole, John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick.

“I think what I’ll remember most about my rookie season are all of the different things we went through, the challenges, from no practice or qualifying and also no testing,” Custer said in a news release about the 2020 season.

Custer joins William Byron (2018), Erik Jones (2017), Chase Elliott (2016), Kyle Larson (2014), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2013), Joey Logano (2009), Denny Hamlin (2006), Kyle Busch (2005), Ryan Newman (2002), Kevin Harvick (2001) and Matt Kenseth (2000) as active Cup Series drivers who have won the Rookie-of-the-Year honor.

SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info