● The Chicagoland 300 will mark Cole Custer’s 30th career NASCAR XFINITY Series start and his first XFINITY Series start at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Custer earned a top-10 in his first and only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile oval.
● The Chicagoland 300 will be the regular-season finale before the seven-race, three-round playoff format begins at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Custer has clinched his spot in the 2017 XFINITY Series Playoffs in his first attempt with Stewart-Haas Racing, which launched its XFINITY Series team this season.
● Custer’s best finish in the 25 XFINITY Series races run this season is fourth, earned in the 11th race of the year June 3 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. It was his 14th top-10 finish, fifth top-five, and equaled his career-best finish in 30 career XFINITY Series starts.
● Custer’s best qualifying effort in the 25 XFINITY Series races run this season is third, earned twice – April 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and June 10 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Custer has 17 top-10 starts and seven top-five starts this season.
● In eight XFINITY Series starts and nine Camping World Truck Series starts at 1.5-mile tracks, Custer has three top-five finishes and nine top-10s. Custer has earned three top-10s this season at 1.5-mile tracks – Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (fifth), Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (seventh) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (10th).
● Custer is third in the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year standings, 64 points behind leader William Byron and 11 points behind second-place Daniel Hemric. Custer has earned six Rookie of the Race awards this season, three of which have come at 1.5-mile tracks – fifth at Texas, seventh at Charlotte and 11th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
● Custer has been the highest-finishing XFINITY Series regular driver in four races this season – Charlotte, Dover, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Texas.
● Custer is sixth in the XFINITY Series driver standings, 277 points behind series leader Elliot Sadler.
● Custer has earned four top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, and has led 29 laps in the 2017 XFINITY Series season. |