Cole Custer recovers to finish fifth at Dover

DOVER, Del. — After rain and a penalty put him at a disadvantage, Cole Custer mounted an impressive recovery to finish fifth at Dover.

Custer had one of the fastest cars in the field Saturday, leading 95 laps on the day. He finished third in stage one and picked up the stage two win for a great points day. Still, he’s looking for that first race win of 2024.

The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion was just a few raindrops away from victory lane. With 42 laps to go, the caution came out for rain with Custer out front. 

Pit road opened right after the initial caution came out. The top six cars stayed out, thinking the race may end early. The red flag came out, bringing the cars to pit road. However, NASCAR officials told drivers to stay in their cars.

Once officials lifted the red flag, Custer and his team saw the writing on the wall and pit — even when it was closed. That meant he had to restart tail end of the longest line.

A flurry of cautions and two overtime attempts gave Custer the chance to make his way back to the front. He found himself fifth when the final caution waved to end the race. 

Custer is on the cusp of returning to victory lane soon. He hasn’t finished outside of the top-10 since Atlanta. He currently sits second in the points standings, -1 to Chandler Smith. 

The win could come in two weeks at Darlington Raceway. Custer has a win and four top-fives there in his Xfinity Series career. 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will go green May 11 at Darlington for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 (1:30 p.m. ET; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).