Cole Custer
CREW CHIEF: Jeff Meendering
TEAM: Stewart-Haas Racing
POINTS: Second
WINS: One (Texas II)
LAPS LED: 389 (Best through two seasons)
TOP 5s: 14 (Double amount from 2017)
TOP 10s: 26 (Up from 19 in 2017)
POLES: Six (Series-best)
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Twenty top 10s in first 25 races of season ... Five consecutive top fives from Charlotte I to Chicagoland) ... Was only Ford driver in the Championship 4 ... Made his first three Cup Series starts.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Didn’t win until race 31 of season. Previous win was 2017 season finale ... Three DNFs for wrecks (Atlanta, Daytona II and Indianapolis) ... Led race-high 95 laps in season finale at Miami, but finished second after he lost the lead following a longer green-flag run than the rest of the leaders in the final stage.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2019: Will compete in a rare third full-time season in Xfinity with a new crew chief after Jeff Meendering joined Joe Gibbs Racing ... Custer will have a full-time teammate in Chase Briscoe, who will drive the No. 98 Ford.