• Associated Press

Jul 13, 2024, 06:01 PM ET

LOND POND, Pa. — Cole Custer drove away from Justin Allgaier over the final laps to give the 2023 Xfinity Series champion his first win of the year, earning a playoff spot for Stewart-Haas Racing in its farewell season with the checkered flag Saturday at Pocono Raceway.

Custer had another dominant season in NASCAR’s second-tier series with seven top-five finishes and 14 top-10s in 18 races. He was the series points leader who just hadn’t won a race. That all changed in the No. 00 Ford on the 2½-mile track.

“I’ve never been so frustrated being the points leader,” he said. “It was the weirdest feeling in the world.”

Custer also gave Stewart-Haas Racing a needed victory before it closes up shop at the end of the season. SHR this year fields Cup cars for Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece. Custer and Riley Herbst drive for the Xfinity team.

Custer lost his Cup ride at SHR after the 2022 season and spent the last two years driving for its Xfinity program. Custer could get a return to Cup next season.

If he’s going out at SHR, he may as well go out with another championship.

“That’s the plan,” Custer said. “Why not?”

SHR co-owner Gene Haas will remain in the Cup Series and field one car in 2025. Haas will keep one of the four charters that belong to Stewart-Haas Racing and will operate next season as the Haas Factory Team.

Stewart-Haas Racing is primarily run by Joe Custer, the chief operating officer and longtime Haas confidant. The elder Custer will remain president of Haas Factory Team — and his son could get the Cup seat.

Allgaier finished second. Cup regular William Byron finished third, Sheldon Creed fourth and Taylor Gray fifth.

“It was as hectic as it gets,” Cole Custer said of the frantic finish.

Custer, who led 25 of 90 laps, gave Ford its first win of the season. The 26-year-old Custer won his 14th career Xfinity race to go with one in the Cup Series and two in Trucks.