When Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team take to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night, they will be racing with a special organization along for the ride.
Play for Easton will be featured on Custer’s No. 41 Texas A&M University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, bringing national attention to an organization dedicated to helping children experience the joy and life lessons that come from participating in team sports.
Play for Easton, Inc. was established in 2023 in memory of Easton Root, a nine-year-old from the Bryan-College Station community whose kind heart and passion for team sports left a lasting impact on those around him.
Today, the organization carries Easton’s spirit forward by providing assistance, scholarships and support to help remove financial barriers for children in the Brazos Valley who want to participate in team sports. Its initiatives include Texas A&M Youth Sports Camp scholarships, financial assistance for tournament and travel sports, and scholarships benefiting members of the Class of 2033.
The organization’s connection to Texas A&M makes its presence on Custer’s No. 41 Chevrolet particularly meaningful.
“Having Play for Easton with us at Bristol makes an already special weekend even more meaningful,” Custer said. “Sports have an incredible ability to bring people together and teach lessons that stay with you for the rest of your life. I’m proud that we can help share Easton’s story and bring attention to an organization that is giving kids the opportunity to experience those same things.”
The Play for Easton logo will ride on the B-post of the No. 41 Chevrolet and Texas A&M’s special “Standing for America” paint scheme for the Bristol weekend.
Through fundraising and community support, the nonprofit works to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent young athletes from participating in the sports they love. Earlier this year, the organization hosted its fourth annual Play for Easton Memorial Tournament in Bryan, Texas, with proceeds supporting its efforts to provide assistance and scholarships to young athletes throughout the Brazos Valley.
“We are incredibly honored by this tribute to Easton and the foundation established in his name and appreciative of Haas Factory Team’s thoughtful gesture,” said Laura Root, Easton’s mother and Play for Easton board co-chair. “We know he’d love being part of this special race in Bristol. Easton loved being part of a team, and it means so much to see his passion for sports creating opportunities for other kids to experience the same joy, friendships and life lessons that meant so much to him.”
For Custer and Haas Factory Team, carrying the Play for Easton logo provides an opportunity to use one of NASCAR’s biggest stages to introduce Easton’s story and the foundation created in his memory to race fans across the country.
Cole Custer and the No. 41 Texas A&M University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will hit the track at Bristol Motor Speedway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, September 18, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying will follow at 5:40 p.m. ET.
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is on Saturday, September 19, and it will be televised live on USA beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
To learn more about Play for Easton, its mission or ways to support the organization, visit PlayForEaston.org.