After a wild side-by-side battle with Justin Allgaier that lasted practically a lap with 4 of 90 laps remaining, Custer pulled forward and held on to take the win in Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway by 0.670 seconds.
Whereas Custer was the collection factors chief coming into the race, the win is the primary of the season for the motive force of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Ford and locks him into the playoff area. The victory can be the primary within the collection this season for Ford Efficiency.
Watch: Cole Custer: ‘I feel we will actually carry this’ after incomes Pocono win
Custer led early within the race however discovered himself trailing Allgaier when Allgaier determined to stretch his gas and skip a remaining pit cease.
On newer tires, Custer lastly handed Allgaier with 9 laps to go however Allgaier was nonetheless adequate to commerce the lead with him on the ultimate restart.
“Man, you simply attempt to handle it the very best you’ll be able to nevertheless it’s simply the luck of the draw on who will get the very best push (on the restart). That was all Doug Yates horsepower proper there. We positively did some passing on the straightaways as we speak,” stated Custer, who owns 14 profession wins.
“These guys have labored so laborious all 12 months however simply haven’t had that remaining outcome. To lastly get it’s so superior. I’ve by no means been so annoyed being the factors chief – it’s the weirdest feeling on this planet. We’ve been so good just about all 12 months.”
William Byron overcame a flat tire earlier within the race to complete third, Sheldon Creed was fourth and Taylor Grey rounded out the highest 5.
Finishing the highest 10 have been A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Hill, Parker Kligerman, Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer.
Stage 1
Allgaier simply held off Custer by 4.100 seconds to take the Stage 1 win. Chandler Smith was third, Byron fourth and Allmendinger ended up fifth.
Stage 2
Custer led each green-flag lap on his solution to taking the Stage 2 win over Chandler Smith by 3.958 seconds. Hill was third, Riley Herbst fourth and Ryan Sieg rounded out the highest 5.
On a restart on lap 26, Byron hit the wall between Turns 2 and three which brought on a flat tire on his No. 17 Chevrolet. The tire carcass got here off and landed on the monitor which pressured NASCAR to throw a warning for particles.
Stage 3
Following the break between Levels 2 and three, many of the lead lap vehicles elected to pit with Hill first off pit highway. Byron remained on the monitor and inherited the lead when the race resumed with 44 laps to go.
Parker Retzclaff obtained free and went up the monitor in Flip 1 on the restart which triggered a four-car wreck that arrange one other restart with 40 laps remaining.
Creed was the primary of the lead lap vehicles to hit pit highway underneath inexperienced with 30 laps remaining to make his remaining pit cease of the race for brand spanking new tires and gas to make it to the end.
Allgaier – who obtained off-sequence as a result of a pit highway penalty earlier within the race – took over the lead on lap 67 with plans to stretch his gas to the end. A warning on lap 70 for the stopped automobile of Stephen Mallozi helped his trigger.
Jeremy Clements obtained free racing three-wide, spun and hit the wall on lap 75 to arrange one other restart with 12 laps remaining and Allgaier nonetheless out entrance.
With 9 laps remaining, Custer went to the skin of Allgaier and obtained round him for the lead.
Shane van Gisbergen wrecked in Flip 2 after contact with Mayer to carry out the eighth warning of the race and arrange a restart with 4 laps to go.
After a wild side-by-side duel for the lead, Custer lastly obtained clear with three laps remaining.
