Custer Scores Season-Best Eighth in Strategic Run at Cup Series Debut in Mexico City
Creed Finishes Just Outside Top 10 at AMS; Mayer 23rd
Cup Series
Cole Custer recorded his strongest points performance of the year and best Cup Series finish since 2022 at Bristol, placing eighth in Sunday’s debut Cup race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Driving the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford, Custer benefited from a savvy early pit strategy called by crew chief Aaron Kramer to short pit Stage One.
A lap-one caution allowed the team to bolt on rain tires as incoming showers loomed, giving Custer a grip advantage. He surged to 12th by lap six, then pitted early for slicks as the track began to dry. Though he finished Stage One in 22nd, a strategic pit cycle gave him a 10th-place restart spot for Stage 2 as others pitted.
Custer made a bold dive into turn one on the restart, climbing to fifth by lap 30. He pitted on lap 33 for four fresh tires and fuel, surrendering the position, and cycled back to 16th. He gained three positions by the end of the stage, finishing 13th in Stage Two.
Restarting 11th for the final and longest stint, he picked up two spots by lap 64 just before a caution for a spin in turn 11. Having pitted moments earlier, Custer gained key track position, restarting fourth with 30 laps to go. He stayed clean and consistent through the final green-flag run, earning an eighth-place result—his season-best to date.
“It was a really solid points day, and I can’t say enough about our guys and everything they had to go through this weekend,” Custer said. “I had a really solid car and great strategy from Aaron (Kramer), so hopefully we can keep moving in the right direction.”
Xfinity Series
Sheldon Creed came close to securing a top-10 finish as the NASCAR Xfinity Series made its long-awaited return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the first time since 2008. Restarting in 31st with just 14 laps remaining, Creed charged through the field, picking up 20 positions in a determined late-race push to finish 11th in his Pit Boss Ford. Meanwhile, his teammate Sam Mayer recovered from an early-race incident and battled back to take 23rd place in his Audibel Ford.
After strong performances in both practice and qualifying on Saturday morning, the Haas Factory Team (HFT) duo earned solid starting positions, with Mayer lining up sixth and Creed taking the green from 13th. However, the race took an early turn just three laps in when Mayer got loose entering Turn 11 and slid into the tire barrier, triggering the event’s first caution. Despite sustaining damage, the No. 41 crew worked quickly to make necessary repairs, allowing Mayer to continue and remain in contention.
“It was definitely a crazy weekend in Mexico, but we showed speed and enjoyed our time here,” Mayer said. “I’m looking forward to the next one here, and appreciate all the hard work from our team to make this possible.”
Both Haas Factory Team cars opted for a strategic move in the opening stage, choosing to pit just before the stage break in order to gain track position for Stage Two. The decision paid off particularly well for the No. 00 team, which capitalized on the strategy to stay near the front and secure a third-place finish in the second segment—netting eight valuable stage points. Meanwhile, after additional repairs to his car during the pit stop, Mayer restarted deep in the field and was scored 23rd at the end of the stage.
Just one lap into Stage Three, Creed was caught up in a multi-car incident while exiting Turn 2, forcing the No. 00 team to bring the car to pit road for a quick damage assessment. Despite the setback, Creed restarted 31st with only 14 laps remaining and charged through the field, gaining an impressive 20 positions to finish 11th. Meanwhile, Mayer continued to battle back from multiple challenges throughout the race and ultimately brought the No. 41 car home in 23rd, capping off a gritty day for the Haas Factory Team.
“It was an okay day for us, but I felt like we had the potential to finish inside the top five,” Creed said. “We got caught up in the restart mess, but were able to fix it and charge through the field from the back for an 11th-place finish.”
Next weekend at Pocono Raceway is the final race of the Driving 4 a Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, a new in-season Ford tournament within the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sheldon Creed leads after four races with 112 points, followed by teammate Sam Mayer (97), Harrison Burton (70), Ryan Sieg (57) & Kyle Sieg (25).
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway next weekend for the 17th points race on the NASCAR Cup Series/Xfinity schedule. Race coverage for the Xfinity series is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on the CW, and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on Prime for the Cup Series.
About Haas Factory Team
The Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Beginning in 2025, the team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the Xfinity Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Ford Mustangs, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.
