Cole Custer returns to Haas Factory Team No. 41 for 2027

NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 9, 2026

Custer return

Haas Factory Team kept Cole Custer in the No. 41 Chevrolet for another Cup Series run, extending his stay in the car for a third straight season with the organization. The move settles one of the biggest open questions left in the Cup driver market and keeps the team from turning to another option after speculation about whether Custer could slide down to one of Haas Factory Team’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series openings. Custer instead stays put in the No. 41, the same car he has driven since Haas Factory Team rebranded ahead of the 2025 season and became a single-car Cup operation. That continuity matters for a team that wants to keep building its program with its technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. It also gives Haas Factory Team a clear path as it works to strengthen the Cup side without changing the shape of the organization again. The announcement puts Custer back at the center of the effort and keeps the No. 41 as the focus of the team’s Cup work.

Haas backing

Gene Haas framed the decision in straightforward terms. He called Custer a “championship-caliber driver” and said Custer brings needed consistency. That fits the view Haas Factory Team has taken on its Cup program, where steady work and repeatable results carry more weight than a quick reset. The team wants to keep building around the technical help it receives from Hendrick Motorsports, and keeping a known driver in the seat gives Haas a chance to make gradual progress instead of chasing another change. Custer’s connection to Gene Haas also runs deep. He has been linked to the team owner through Stewart-Haas Racing and later Haas Factory Team, and this move keeps that relationship alive in the Cup Series. For Haas Factory Team, the decision reinforces the same direction it has pushed since the rebrand. That fits the consistency Haas said he values, and the team now has it in place.

Custer résumé

Custer brings a strong background to the seat. He has one Cup Series victory, which came at Kentucky Speedway in 2020, and he has added 15 wins in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He won that series championship in 2023, a result that remains the centerpiece of his stock car resume. Custer also owns two Truck Series victories, giving him wins across three national NASCAR levels. In Cup, he has 184 career starts, four top-five finishes, 16 top-10s and one pole. Those numbers show a driver with real experience even as he continues to chase more consistent results at the top level. This season, Custer sits 32nd in the Cup standings, and his only top-10 finish came at Daytona. He finished 32nd in the standings last year as well, so the return keeps him in the same competitive lane while the team keeps pushing for more. The record fits the role Haas Factory Team appears to want him to fill. He knows the organization, he knows the car and he gives the team a proven winner from its past and present. That combination is what makes the decision more than just a routine contract note. It gives Haas Factory Team a familiar driver with a long link to the organization and a chance to keep stacking progress one season at a time.