Posted on by Staff Report

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season will mark Jimmie Johnson’s final full-time campaign in the sport’s top series. The sure-fire future NASCAR Hall of Famer announced the decision days after the end of the 2019 season – a season that saw him fail to reach the playoffs for the first time in his career.

The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has accomplished plenty: seven championships that put him in the same elite company as legends and Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, 83 wins on his resume and the standard of greatness for an entire generation and perhaps, the entire sport.

But what will 2020 hold for Johnson? Will he be able to chase eight one final time? NASCAR.com’s Alex Weaver and RJ Kraft debate how the seven-time champion’s swan-song season will go.

RELATED: Johnson sets 2020 as final season | See all of Johnson’s Cup wins

KRAFT: As nice as a storybook Peyton Manning-John Elway like, walk-off title exit would be, I just don’t find it realistic based on how the 48 camp has looked for the better part of three years. Johnson enters the 2020 season on a 95-race winless streak – 95?!? – a career-high for the seven-time champion. He has just nine top-five finishes in the past 108 races. To put that in greater context, between 2003 and 2016, the lowest number of top fives he had in a season was 11.

While the recent numbers are far from flattering, hope is far from lost and I’m not throwing dirt on his grave. Hendrick seemed to turn a corner as a whole in the summer, and there was speed there under Cliff Daniels, who took over the No. 48 team midseason. Johnson also seems motivated to not go out with a whimper with final season success very much an energizing factor.

I don’t see this as a title season for Johnson, but he is absolutely one of the 16 best drivers for the upcoming season. When I gaze into my crystal ball, I see a return to the playoffs, at least six top fives and 250 laps led and a return to Victory Lane – likely at Dover International Speedway (in the spring) for a record 12th time.

RELATED: How Johnson became ‘Seven-Time’ | Johnson through the years

WEAVER: Well, everyone talks about loving a storybook ending but they never actually believe it will happen. I’m not one of those people. Jimmie Johnson, in my book, is the greatest this sport has ever seen. Seven championships in the top national series is a feat I don’t believe anybody will ever accomplish again.

Yes, the 48 team struggled last year, but I also know Johnson is a competitor to the highest magnitude – he ran the Boston Marathon for crying out loud! The struggle of 2019 set him up to complete a comeback for the ages. You mean to tell me we’re counting out a guy who has 83 wins and seven championships because of one season where his team couldn’t put a race together? Not in my storybook. Did we believe Tiger Woods would win again? Yes, and that 2019 Masters green jacket fits like a glove. Did we count Peyton Manning out? Tell your answer to his Super Bowl 50 trophy.

Hendrick knows this is the final year with the California native. The early announcement not only allowed fans to get a full season of appreciating Johnson and his accomplishments but for Hendrick to be in position to put all resources and effort into making it a successful outing for the driver who has filled the organization’s trophy room.

I think the season will start slow but turn to see Johnson win his first race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. He’ll then go on to win two or more races in the playoffs and ultimately secure the 2020 championship. Pin this article, so when he’s holding that eighth championship, I can say: Final chapter, complete.

Posted on by Staff Report

The transition to a sportsman late model was seemingly pretty simple for Coos Bay Speedway’s Braden Fugate.

Fugate previously spent two seasons racing in the hornets division at Coos Bay, a 3/8-mile dirt oval track in Coos County, Oregon, and raced a handful of times in a sportsman in 2018.

In 2019, Fugate rattled off seven straight sportsman victories to start the season on the way to 12 wins in 15 races and a championship at his home track. It was his first career championship in three years of racing.

Braden Fugate

Fugate’s expectations going into the season weren’t as high as he ended up finishing, but the help of both his dad, Len Fugate, and his car owner, Mike Redmon, helped ease make the learning curve.

“It happened pretty quick,” Fugate said. “My dad was Johnny-on-the-Spot, I guess you could say, with the setup. We just had to make small changes to get where we really wanted to be. It was just an incredible year with where we started. We basically rebuilt the whole car and from Day 1 we had speed. It was good.”

Coos Bay Speedway | Facebook | Twitter

Fugate needed the help of his dad and owner, because during the first four races of the season he was three hours away finishing up his degree at the University of Oregon, where he graduated this spring. Thankfully, with his class schedule he was off on Fridays, giving him a day to come home and get the car ready, race on Saturdays, and wash his car on Sundays before heading back to school.

During the offseason while Fugate was at school, his dad rebuilt the car, and would get it ready every week with the help of Redmon.

Fugate would do his own work away from the car.

“I practiced a little bit on iRacing over the winter and that helped me out a little bit to stay fresh on driving,” he said.

The championship winning sportsman car was “sitting out in a field,” Fugate said, and Redmon originally bought it for his daughter. But, his daughter wasn’t ready, so they did a car swap, with her driving Fugate’s old hornet while he drove the sportsman.

He won a race in the sportsman in his first year, “which was pretty crazy,” he said.

Braden Fugate

Even though success came a lot quicker than he expected, the 23-year-old Fugate was no stranger to the racetrack. His brother, who is 12 years older, was driving sprint cars when Fugate was around 5.

“I spent like every weekend at the racetrack watching races,” he said. “We quit when I was like 8 years old. I didn’t go to the races as much, but I was still there doing whatever I could to be at the races, checking things out.

“I’ve always wanted to do it and when it finally worked out, I had experience watching it but it just kind of happened. I don’t even know what to explain the transition being so quick.”

Fugate built such a lead in the sportsman division that he pretty much knew he had the championship locked up with two weeks to go. While championship night didn’t provide drama, he still wanted to make sure he put a cherry on top of his title.

“I didn’t feel like it would be validated if I went out and went, ‘Oh, we have it locked up, we don’t really have to try.’ We still worked hard and we won on championship night.”

After the final checkered flag waved, Fugate got out of his car, put his hands up, and waved to the crowd. It was the first time he’d been in a position where everyone in the stands was cheering for him.

“I had never won a championship in my life in anything. It was a crazy feeling because I knew my dad and Mike and everybody that helps us, we all put so much work into getting it, so finally getting to stand up and have the picture, it just showed that all that hard work did pay off for us so it was exciting.

“It was a pretty incredible feeling.”

Coos Bay Speedway 2019 points standings

Fugate thanked sponsors Ken Ware Chevrolet Buick Cadillac GMC, Canaday Coffee and the Canaday family, Memory Road Photography, Napier Auto Body, WSK Diemert Racing Engines, API Coatings, Angela Cardas Meredith, and Bandon/Coquile Hwy Deli Mart, and his crew members Steve Kreutzer, Janet, Trace, and Bryce Fugate, and Kirsten Canaday.

Three years into his career, Fugate has never raced anywhere but Coos Bay. He hopes to start traveling more this upcoming season in his super late model, a division he’ll move up to in 2020. He spent a good portion of 2019 driving the super as well as his sportsman.

For the first time in three years, in 2020 Fugate will be racing in just one division, focusing on just one car. He’s excited about that prospect, but knows the transition to another new car may not go as smoothly as the one into a sportsman.

Even if it doesn’t, just getting the chance to get behind the wheel of any car every weekend is enough for him.

“The sportsman, I can’t explain it,” he said. “It was nerve-wracking but once you get on the track and you’re going, it’s the best time of your life. You’re excited, you’re so pumped up before the race and once you’re out there you’re so focused and you just do it. I don’t even know how to explain it.

“Just the opportunity to be able to do this. It’s just crazy to be able to have the opportunity drive the car. I’m honestly just thankful I get the opportunity to get in a seat and do what I’m doing. We’re probably going to eventually chase the championship at Coos Bay, but just the fact that I get to race and do what I’m doing is what I’m most excited about going forward.”

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Front Row Motorsports announced Monday the team would expand operations to the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2020 through an alliance with DGR-Crosley. Nineteen-year-old Todd Gilliland is set to drive the team’s No. 38 Ford F-150 in a full-time effort.

Gilliland, a third-generation NASCAR driver, will look to deliver a successful debut season for the team as he takes on his third full-time year in the Gander Truck Series. In 48 combined starts, he has one win, 12 top-five, and 26 top-10 finishes. In his teenage years, Gilliland spent time developing in NASCAR’s regional series, where he achieved many accomplishments in a short amount of time. After winning in his debut NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race as a 15-year-old, the North Carolina native went on to win back-to-back championships and has collected 20 K&N Pro Series wins in 53 races. Gilliland also has two ARCA Menards Series wins in only nine attempts.

RELATED: All of the changes to know for 2020

“I’m really looking forward to racing an F-150 in the (Gander) Truck Series this year with Front Row Motorsports as part of the Ford family,” Gilliland said. “I’ve been around (team owner) Bob Jenkins and the whole Front Row crew for a long time growing up with my dad racing for them. The talent that they’ve brought in for my program is really exciting. I know or have worked with almost every person that’s on my team this year at some point in my career. That helps tremendously in building relationships and trust with each other.”

The No. 38 Ford that Gilliland will pilot has significant meaning to his family. Gilliland spent most of his childhood watching his father, David Gilliland, race that number in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series driving for FRM and Ford Performance, but the story doesn’t end there. David’s father, Butch Gilliland, also raced the No. 38 winning a championship in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 1997; three years before Todd Gilliland was born.

“Car numbers are important to a driver because they are essentially your identity when you’re on track,” Gilliland said. “It’s cool to think about a Gilliland being back in the No. 38, and I’m really proud to be able to drive the same number that my dad and grandpa did.”

RELATED: McDowell, Nemechek at Front Row for ’20

Said Jenkins: “We’re all very excited for this expansion. I’ve watched Todd grow up in this sport and have seen the talent he brings firsthand. Not only does he come from a racing family, but he’s got the natural ability of a winning driver. I’m confident that having him drive in our debut season will be a great success.”

Gilliland will have former NASCAR Cup Series engineer Jon Leonard as his crew chief throughout the duration of the 2020 season. Leonard brings significant knowledge and experience to the newly formed team. He served as an interim crew chief for Leavine Family Racing for several months before moving back into an engineering role at Richard Childress Racing last season. Gilliland will have veteran NASCAR Cup Series spotter Coleman Pressley guiding him from the spotter stand.

The 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will kick off its 23-race season at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m., ET.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Feeling cold this winter? Well, let the annual Chili Bowl Nationals warm you up.

This week, some of the best drivers dirt racing has to offer have flocked to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the 34th running of the annual indoor midget car event held on a 1/5-mile dirt oval at the River Spirit Expo Center. As of Jan. 13, more than 340 drivers and teams were featured on the entry list as five qualifying nights lie ahead leading up to Saturday night’s A-Main event. The champion gets the coveted Golden Driller, a replica of the 76-foot statue located outside the venue.

NASCAR Cup Series rookie Christopher Bell will be vying for his fourth straight Chili Bowl Nationals title. Last year, Bell muscled his way past NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson on the final lap to take home his fourth Golden Driller.

If Bell is able to accomplish the feat, he’ll be just the third driver to win four or more and the second driver to win four straight events, tying four-time winner Kevin Swindell (2010-13). Dirt racing legend Sammy Swindell is the all-time winner of the Chili Bowl with five victories (1989, ’92, ’96, ’98, 2009).

MRN: Inside Bell and Larson’s friendly rivalry

The Chili Bowl has become grounds for a civil but fierce rivalry between the two competitors as Bell has beat Larson after going toe-to-toe with him in the final circuits the past three occasions.

“That was probably the most exciting win of my career, I’ve never had a last-lap pass on a big stage like that,” Bell said of last year’s bout with Larson on Episode 28 of MRN’s Rip the Fence podcast.

MORE: Bell edges Larson to win 2019 Chili Bowl

While losing always hurts for every driver worth his mettle, Bell knows the mutual respect between the two of them runs deep.

“I don’t know if you guys see a different face of Kyle every time, I see him we are on great terms,” Bell said. “He’s beaten me plenty, and it’s not fun.”

“When I beat him last year the press conference was tough. I felt bad for beating him, but I was heartbroken for him, because I do care about Kyle and that’s his number one race he wants to win, and he had it till the last lap.”

For Larson, the mistake made on the final lap last year stuck in his craw for a while, but there came a time where he had to get over it and focus forward.

“It definitely kept me up at night following some of the losses, but the pain goes away,” Larson said on Episode 71 of MRN’s Rip the Fence podcast.

Both Bell and Larson enter new territory this year by leaving Keith Kunz Motorsports under good terms. For Larson, it was the chance to try something different as the Chili Bowl still eludes him, racing in his own equipment with the No. 01 Kyle Larson midget. Bell has also made the significant move by joining forces with Tucker-Boat Motorsports and team owner Chad Boat to race the 84x midget, a partnership that came to fruition in 2019.

“Our car has been really good ever since I got my own midget,” Larson told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday. “I’ve only lost one time in it, so it’s been good. It seems like since Bell’s gone to Chad Boat’s team, he’s struggled a little bit but their stuff is always really good in that building.”

“Christopher is obviously an amazing driver, too. You can never count them out. I think it’s going to be a little bit tougher this year than years past, but we’ve just got to wait and see.”

Monday kicked off a week of action-packed racing, including practice rounds that began at 9 a.m. local time, followed by the first night of preliminary racing. The entry list is divided into sections for each qualifying night, which includes a series of heat races and qualifiers, followed by a 25-lap feature event. The top-two finishers in each qualifying night feature event lock themselves into the 24-car A-Feature event on Saturday night.

Current and former NASCAR drivers competing:

  • Rico Abreu
  • Justin Allgaier
  • Christopher Bell
  • Alex Bowman
  • Chase Briscoe
  • Cale Conley
  • Ryan Ellis
  • Kyle Larson
  • Ryan Newman
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  • JJ Yeley

Below is when each driver will compete in their respective qualifying nights:

Monday, Jan. 13: Cummins Qualifying Night

  • Chase Briscoe
  • Ryan Ellis

Tuesday, Jan. 14: Warren CAT Qualifying Night:

  • Alex Bowman
  • Kyle Larson

Wednesday, Jan. 15: Hard Rock Casino Qualifying Night:

  • J.J. Yeley
  • Ryan Newman
  • Rico Abreu

Thursday, Jan. 16: John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night:

  • Christopher Bell
  • Cale Conley

Friday, Jan. 17: Vacuworx Global Qualifying night:

  • Justin Allgaier
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Posted on by George Winkler

NASCAR’s Silly Season has finally wound down, with most driver-team pairings settled on national series rosters. Quite a bit of shuffling has already shaken up the natural order of things, and new faces are getting accustomed to new cars, new numbers and new organizations.

All of these fresh pairings enter the 2020 season with a sense of optimism, but which new combinations have the best chance for success? NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert and George Winkler offer their picks for drivers expected to thrive in their new surroundings.

RELATED: Drivers on the move

Albert: Daniel Hemric. Though he’s dropping down a rung on the NASCAR national series ladder, Hemric has a grand opportunity to rejuvenate his career by running the majority of the Xfinity Series slate in 2020. He won’t even have to change his car number — No. 8 — in his shift from Cup Series duty with Richard Childress Racing to a new ride with JR Motorsports.

Jeb Burton is slated for 11 races in the No. 8, and team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has indicated he’s in for one event this season, but Hemric will have the lion’s share of starts in a car that logged top-10 finishes in 23 of 33 races last year. He’ll also add continuity for a team with a rotating cast of nine drivers last season.

Hemric stood on the brink of winning during his most recent Xfinity Series campaign in 2018. Here’s betting he breaks down that wall this season.

Winkler: Matt DiBenedetto. “Family style” will continue to work for DiBenedetto, who moves from Leavine Family Racing to Wood Brothers Racing and a technical alliance with Team Penske. During the second half of last season, DiBenedetto built momentum with six top-10 finishes, including a memorable second-place run in the Bristol Night Race.

As a result, DiBenedetto had his best season statistically in the NASCAR Cup Series with career highs in top fives, top 10s and laps led. Look for that momentum to continue in 2020 with Wood Brothers Racing, where the five-year veteran driver will pair with crew chief Greg Erwin, who has five victories in Cup (all with Greg Biffle).

Based on average finish, DiBenedetto has had his best success on road courses, but his best finishes in 2019 came on a variety of tracks, showing that he can be a threat on any given weekend. Couple that with Team Penske’s reputation as a strong outfit on superspeedways, and there’s a good chance this will be the year that DiBenedetto finally breaks into the win column.

Posted on by Staff Report

Erik Jones is scheduled to drive the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen car in its third on-track test Wednesday and Thursday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Next Gen car is set to make its competition debut in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. This week’s test is the first at a 1.5-mile track.

Select grandstands will be open for viewing purposes to fans who have purchased a ticket to the Dixie Vodka 400, Miami’s 2020 event on March 22. Testing will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, with a lunch break splitting up the morning and afternoon sessions. Weather will dictate the specific schedule.

MORE: Buy tickets for Miami race

A test vehicle first hit the track in 2019. Austin Dillon piloted the prototype built by Richard Childress Racing in collaboration with NASCAR back in October at Richmond Raceway. Joey Logano then had a run with it in December at Phoenix Raceway, home of the 2020 season finale.

“I really enjoyed driving the car,” Dillon said after his test. “I like the way that it looks, you can see the finished product down the road. The OEMs can make the body look really good, like a street car that you see on the road today. When it comes together and they all get their cars on the track, we’re going to have something to work with that also looks really good.”

In his 2019 “State of the Sport” address, NASCAR president Steve Phelps said a big point of Next Gen is to “put the ‘stock’ back in stock car,” meaning the new car should better resemble its highway-going counterparts. Of course, it’s also meant to improve competition.

“When the car gets loose with this Next Gen car, it doesn’t come back until the driver steers the car back — it doesn’t fix itself. And that puts it more in the driver’s hands. And I like that piece,” Logano said. “It’s going to be challenging, but I think you’ll see more mistakes on the race track, which makes, in my opinion, better racing and more passing opportunities.”

PHOTOS: Check out the Next Gen car on track

Posted on by Team Release

LEXINGTON, N.C. — Defending Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Justin Haley will pilot the No. 16 Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in Kaulig Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) debut.

Kaulig Racing, which recently announced the team will be fielding three entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season opener at Daytona International Speedway with Justin Haley, Ross Chastain, and AJ Allmendinger, is thrilled to have the opportunity to attempt the Daytona 500 at the World Center of Racing.

RELATED: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

“I am super excited to attempt not only our first NASCAR Cup Series race, but our first Daytona 500!” exclaimed team owner, Matt Kaulig. “To be competing at the World Center of Racing on the main stage is incredible, especially for our team that began just four years ago. I have all the confidence in the world that Justin Haley will make everyone at Kaulig Racing proud and truly let everyone know that Kaulig Racing is here to compete.”

In the series’ most recent visit to Daytona Beach last July, Haley shocked the racing world by winning the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 in a race that will go down in the record books as one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history.

“I am eager to try and qualify for the Daytona 500,” said Haley. “It is an honor for me to compete for a starting spot in Kaulig Racing’s first NASCAR Cup Series race. The F.O.E. has been with me since 2016. The Eagles were on my car when I won in July at Daytona, so it’s a great fit for them to be back on my car as we try to lock ourselves into the Daytona 500.”

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international non-profit organization, is a family of nearly 700,000 members throughout North America, dedicated to raising money for charity through a variety of social events. Unlike other nonprofit organizations, 100 percent of the $10 million raised by Eagles each year goes directly to the individuals and communities who need it most.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Justin and Kaulig Racing in their Daytona 500 effort,” said F.O.E. Grand Worthy President Ron Malz. “Last year’s win at Daytona was the highlight of our 15-plus years in NASCAR and our members are excited for a chance to replicate that feat in the sport’s signature race.”

During his 2019 NXS rookie season, Haley recorded 20 top 10s and four top fives, including a runner-up finish last July at Daytona. The season also marked the team’s best overall effort since its inception in 2016.

“Kaulig Racing has made continuous strides to be competitive in the Xfinity Series in the past few years,” said team President, Chris Rice. “In 2018, we fielded two cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Then in 2019, we not only fielded two cars for multiple races, but we added a third entry at Daytona in July and got our first win with Ross Chastain. As we continue to grow, I feel it is time to go to Daytona and compete in the Cup Series.”

The 62nd running of the Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 PM EST on FOX. Preceding the Daytona 500, Haley will compete in the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 with teammates Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger on Saturday, February 15 at 2:30 PM EST on FS1.

Posted on by Staff Report

We’re certainly going to miss having former Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 crew chief Cole Pearn at the track in 2020, but there might be a silver lining to all of this: our favorite Canadian hero spending more time on Twitter.

Pearn announced just more than a month ago that he would be stepping away from NASCAR and moving back up north to his native country, a popular destination these days.

RELATED: Cole Pearn to step away from NASCAR

Earlier this week,  British royal family members Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, respectively, announced they’d be stepping back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family with speculation the couple would be spending more time in Canada.

Naturally, Pearn’s take was gold.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr.’s Bass Pro Shops paint scheme has a different look than last year for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry features more orange side panels, while also making the switch from an orange to black for the number on the door and roof.

Watch Truex hit the track throughout Daytona Speedweeks in the No. 19, beginning with Daytona 500 qualifying (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the Busch Clash on Feb. 9 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Terrin Waack

New faces are joining the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. Four rookies, specifically.

Last season’s “Big 3” in the Xfinity Series have all made the jump to NASCAR’s premier league after a season full of success. Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer and Christopher Bell finished atop the 2019 Xfinity Series standings in order and now face the challenge of climbing their way back up the ranks. John Hunter Nemechek, who closed out last year seventh, is also moving to the Cup Series with his fellow competitors.

Which highly touted rookie will have the earliest success in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season? NASCAR.com’s Terrin Waack and Alex Weaver debate who’s going to stand out most first.

RELATED: Drivers on the move for 2020

WAACK: It’s going to be Tyler Reddick, the two-time Xfinity Series champion. No doubt. Reddick is the only rookie entering the Cup Series with such a title, which means he knows how to survive and thrive under the current NASCAR Playoffs format.

Speaking of surviving, Reddick had the fewest DNFs in 2019 out of the incoming newcomers. Reddick had three. Cole Custer and Christopher Bell (with an additional disqualification) had four, while John Hunter Nemechek had five. Doesn’t matter the reasoning or how tight the margin is among them. When it comes to fresh meat in the Cup Series, the key is finishing races. Every one counts.

It also helps Reddick boasted the best average finish among his full-time competition with a 6.3 mark. Custer was further down the list with an average 9.0 finish, Bell had a 9.1, and Nemechek was a 12.5. Reddick had the most top fives (24) and top 10s (27), too.

Then, on top of all that, Reddick already has pulled off a top-10 run (Kansas Speedway in 2019) in the Cup Series. The others can’t say that. This could bring him the confidence he needs to feel comfortable in his new equipment early on.

Reddick is going to get the most he can out of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

WEAVER: I have my eye on Cole Custer to have the most success out of the rookies in the NASCAR Cup Series. Custer was a member of the “Big 3” for the Xfinity Series who, in my opinion, was overlooked in comparison to Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell. But the soon-to-be 22-year-old had seven wins in 2019, only one less than Bell and one more than Reddick. Last season, Custer won at Auto Club Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Pocono Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Dover International Speedway. He had six poles, 24 top-10 finishes and 17 top fives. He came into his own this last season, and now the pressure doesn’t seem to affect him on the track.

MORE DEBATES: Which driver will jump into the playoffs in 2020?

It also helps that Custer will take on his rookie season with Stewart-Haas Racing. He is entering the NASCAR Cup Series with some of the top equipment in the sport and the same crew chief and crew who propelled him to the Championship 4 for the Xfinity Series. Plus, with a mentor like Kevin Harvick, Mike Shiplett’s notebook joined with Rodney Childers and watching what the other veterans will do in that camp, will only improve Custer’s own driving ability.

SHR plans on using resources and effort to make Custer a winning driver in the sport’s top series. The young talent banner for that organization has Custer’s name in bold print. I have personally watched Custer become a different type of driver over the last few years: He is more aggressive, takes chances and will have a successful rookie season in that No. 41 machine.