Cole Custer and Haas Factory Team showed plenty of fight during Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, delivering a competitive performance with the No. 41 Texas A&M University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 before an untimely penalty changed the complexion of their race.
Starting 17th, Custer steadily worked his way forward and established the Texas A&M Chevrolet as a top-15 contender during the race. On a track where passing is often at a premium, Custer and the No. 41 team demonstrated strong pace as they battled among the front half of the field.
The team’s promising run was interrupted by an uncontrolled tire penalty, which sent Custer to the rear of the field and forced the No. 41 team to change its focus from continuing its march forward to fighting its way back through traffic.
Custer and the Haas Factory Team crew responded by doing exactly that.
Rather than allowing the setback to dictate the remainder of their night, the team continued to battle, with Custer wheeling the Texas A&M Chevrolet with persistence all the way to the checkered flag. He hustled to a 26th-place finish, a result that did not reflect the speed and competitiveness the No. 41 exhibited for much of the race. The performance showcased Custer’s and the Texas A&M team’s determination, turning adversity into an opportunity to demonstrate the resilience, teamwork and relentless effort that have defined their season.
The Bristol weekend marked another high-profile chapter in Texas A&M University’s growing motorsports program with Haas Factory Team. The No. 41 Chevrolet carried Texas A&M’s distinctive branding as the university continued to use motorsports to showcase the teamwork, leadership and shared commitment that define the Aggie community.
Those qualities were especially fitting Saturday night. From the team’s strong early performance to its response following adversity, the No. 41 Texas A&M crew reflected the importance of standing together and continuing to fight regardless of the circumstances.
“Everyone fought hard tonight,” Custer said. “We didn’t quite have the car where we wanted it, but nobody on this team ever gave up. I’m really proud of the effort from everyone at Haas Factory Team, and I can’t thank Texas A&M enough for riding with us for all 500 laps tonight. We kept fighting all the way to the checkered flag.”
Haas Factory Team will now travel to the Sunflower State for race number 29 of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Cole Custer and the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will hit the track at Kansas Speedway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Saturday, September 26, at 10 a.m. ET. Qualifying will follow at 11:10 a.m. ET.
The Hollywood Casino 400 is on Sunday, September 27, and it will be televised live on USA beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast, along with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.