Cole Custer’s weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWT) began under challenging circumstances when his engineer, Marc Hendrickson, was ejected from the event after the #41 Haas Factory Team Ford failed pre-race inspection twice. As a result of these violations, Hendrickson was suspended for the race weekend, and the team lost its pit selection advantage, impacting their strategy during the Enjoy Illinois 300.
The Enjoy Illinois 300, scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET, will see only the 36 full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers compete, with no part-time entries. This event marks the second race in the Round of 16 in the NASCAR playoffs.
“Marc Hendrickson, the engineer for the #41 Haas Factory Team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has been ejected for the race weekend, and the team has lost pit selection due to failing pre-race inspection twice at Gateway,” Christie wrote.
Cole Custer‘s Season Standing and Recent Performance
Entering the event, Cole Custer is the sole driver representing Haas Factory Team after the organization reduced its entries from four to one this year. Custer sits 33rd in the driver standings, with a season featuring one top-five and two top-10 finishes. Although he is not currently competing in the playoffs, Custer narrowly missed qualifying in the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway, where he fought hard on the final lap in a dramatic four-wide finish with Justin Haley, Daniel Suarez, and winner Ryan Blaney.
Haas Factory Team’s Transition to Chevrolet and Technical Alliance
Looking ahead, Haas Factory Team will switch manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet starting in the 2026 season. This change coincides with a new technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, restoring Haas’s relationship with Chevrolet after previously racing the brand from 2009 to 2016. During that earlier period, three-time champion Tony Stewart was associated with the team.
Joe Custer, president of Haas Factory Team and father of Cole Custer, addressed the motivation behind the switch in a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview. He revealed that Gene Haas expects the organization to advance beyond its current difficulties, emphasizing the importance of improvement and winning results.
“We’ve had a long relationship with the Hendrick folks, Rick Hendrick himself brought us into this sport. Gene, he’s a patient man, but he demands improvement, make no mistake. And so we’re not here to do the same thing over next year without, you know, addressing these clear issues we have.”
“And he made that known to our organization that he won’t tolerate not improving and not having a trajectory that can get to winning. So we’ve, we’ve made some tough decisions and they are tough decisions,” he added.
Implications of the Manufacturer Change for Haas Factory Team
With nine races left in the 2025 NASCAR season, including the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway, Haas Factory Team is focused on preparing for the Chevrolet transition. This move will place the team alongside other Chevrolet-aligned operations such as Hendrick Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, and Richard Childress Racing. The switch is viewed as a critical step to break free from ongoing struggles with Ford and build a stronger competitive future.
