Cole Custer will no longer be running part-time now that he’s turning 18.
JR Motorsports co-owner Kelly Earnhardt Miller confirmed today on SiriusXM Speedway with Dave Moody that the driver of the No. 00 Chevrolet will pilot said truck for the full 23 race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Needless to say, Custer is – and get used to hearing this word a lot the next few days – excited about the opportunity.
“We are all pretty confident heading into the season,” said Custer. “Joe (Shear Jr., crew chief) and I have been together for three years and we have a great relationship. We’ve shown a lot of speed in our time together, and we need to build a little more consistency. I can help that with the way I drive. Last year, we were running to win races and get experience; this year, it’s going to be all about the points.”
In 19 career Truck starts, Custer has amassed two wins, four top-fives and 10 top-10s. He thinks he’ll “still have the speed we had last year and I think we’re going to be contenders for the championship.”
Other team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he looks “forward to seeing Cole run the full season. He and the team showed they have great speed and the ability to run up front in their limited schedule last year. We have great people and partners in place to make this a top-notch effort and give them the opportunity to go out and learn, win races, and compete for the championship.”
