Cole Custer Bio: Career, Family, Charities, Net Worth, Crash, And Endorsement
Cole Custer is a young and talented NASCAR driver who has already achieved great success in his career.
He started racing quarter midgets at age four and quickly rose through the sport’s ranks.
He won the USAC National Focus Young Guns Championship in 2011 and moved to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East two years later.
With his impressive driving skills, he became the youngest NASCAR K&N Pro Series West winner (at age 15).
He then joined NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series in 2014, racing in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
The following year, he became the youngest winner in NASCAR’s history to win the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 175.
In 2016, he debuted in the Xfinity Series, racing for JR Motorsports. His first win of the series came a year later at the 2017 Ford EcoBoost 300.
Custer then joined the NASCAR Cup Series in 2018 and won his first Cup race at Kentucky Speedway.
26-year-old American stock car racer competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing and part-time in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing.
Custer has raced in 112 NASCAR Cup Series races over five years, 115 NASCAR Xfinity Series races over seven years, and 42 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races over three years.
The Custer Family
Cole Custer was born to racing enthusiast parents Joe Custer (Father) and Cindy Custer (Mother).
He is the grandson of John Custer, a professional race car driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won two races in those years and finished in the top 10 twice.
Since his family was into racing, he was exposed to the sport from a young age.
Meet Cole Custer’s Father
Joe Custer started as a mechanic for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 1988, eventually becoming the team manager.
He was then hired by Stewart-Haas Racing in 2004 and worked as a general manager initially.
After years of service with the motorsports team, he was promoted to team president in 2016.
With over 30 years in NASCAR, Joe has worked with top drivers like Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch.
Cole Custer and Kari Witt’s Love Story
Custer is married to his long-time girlfriend, Kari Witt.
The couple first met through a mutual friend and started dating in 2019.
After three years of relationship, they got engaged in June 2022 and were excited to start their lives together as husband and wife.
They planned their wedding during the off-season and tied the knot in a private ceremony in Florida in January 2023.
Interestingly, their marriage was held a couple of weeks before Cole’s 25th birthday.
His wife, Kari Witt, hails from Lincon, Nebraska.
She is engaged with MINE by Sandy, a women’s boutique in North Carolina, and Arbonne, a multi-level marketing company with product lines including nutrition, cosmetics, and skincare.
The Custer couple is quite active on social media, especially Instagram.
They often share pictures of each other and don’t shy away from showering their love.
Custer’s Crashes And Controversy
Cole Custer has been penalized and involved in several crashes throughout his NASCAR career.
Here are the details of what had gone wrong and what had happened.
Penalties
Custer and the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team were penalized by NASCAR on August 9, 2023, after an issue was found with the car’s splitter during a pre-qualifying inspection at Michigan International Speedway.
According to the rules, splitters must be used exactly as the manufacturer supplies. However, NASCAR found that the splitter on Custer’s car had been modified to give it an unfair advantage.
As a result of the penalty, Custer and his team assessed five playoff points, and crew chief Jonathan Toney was fined $25,000.
Another event took place on October 10, 2022, when NASCAR penalized Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for manipulating the results of the playoff elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Custer was running in 11th place, while his teammate Chase Briscoe was in 12th place and needed to finish in the top 10 to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
As the cars approached the finish line, Custer slowed down and allowed Briscoe to pass him. This gave Briscoe the ninth-place finish he needed to advance.
The penalties included a $100,000 fine and a 50 driver points deduction for Cole Custer.
Likewise, Custer’s crew chief Mike Shiplett was also fined $100,000 and indefinite suspension.
The penalties against SHR were the toughest ever imposed by NASCAR for race manipulation. It was also the first time that a crew chief had been suspended indefinitely for a race manipulation violation.
Crashes
In August 2016, Cole Custer took a hard hit on the track at Michigan International Speedway. No.11 Brett Moffitt made contact with Custer’s vehicle, making him spin and land a huge impact on the wall.
Likewise, he met crashes in 2018 and 19 at NASCAR Xfinity Series, and Xfinity Series practice, & Bristol Motor Speedway, respectively.
One of his massive crashes took place on May 2021, when Martin Truex Jr. smashed his car from the back, bursting his car into flames. Both Truex and Custer had to quit the race right after.
Another scary event occurred in Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series at Road America (2022). Custer was leading the race on lap 25 when he hit Gragson’s car.
The contact caused Custer to spin out and hit the wall. Gragson’s car also spun out and hit the wall. The crash involved Sam Mayer, Daniel Hemric, and Brandon Jones.
Recently, on July 15, 2023, Cole Custer and Sheldon Creed were involved in a car crash on the last lap of the Xfinity race in New Hampshire.
Custer and Creed were both not injured, but their cars were heavily damaged.
Cole Custer Charity Works
Besides being a famous racer, Cole is a philanthropist seeking to promote others’ welfare.
He has partnered with several non-profit organizations, including the Gene Haas Foundation, Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, Novant Health Foundation, and CSU Flint Animal Cancer Center.
For those who don’t know, Gene Haas provides scholarships for CNC machine technology students.
Martin Truex Jr. raises awareness, boosts advocacy, and generates financial support for underfunded cancer initiatives specific to ovarian and childhood cancer.
Likewise, Novant Health Foundation engages and connects donors to Novath Health programs and helps improve the health of the communities they serve.
On the other side, CSU Flint Animal Cancer Center provides expert care for pets with cancer while helping people, too, to find One Cure.
Custer has affiliated with all the organizations and has helped many with his charity works.
For instance, in March 2018, he and the Gene Foundation helped present a $7 million check to STEM schools.
Similarly, they also donated $10,000 to Shriners Children’s to help make a difference in the lives of needy children.
Cole Custer’s Net Worth and Merchandise
According to sources, Cole Custer’s net worth is around $2 to $5 million as of 2024.
His primary source of income, racing, has helped him earn endorsements from Haas Automation, Monster Energy, Ford Motor Company, Simpson, Jacob Companies, Thompson, Autodesk, Mobil 1, and Panini.
In addition, he offers a variety of merchandise for sale, including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, flags, diecast cars, and trading cards.
Interesting Facts
- Cole is one of 10 drivers in history to win a race in all three NASCAR series.
- He won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway on August 13, 2023.
- He attended Ladera Ranch Middle School and graduated from Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
- Off the track, he loves spending time with his family and friends, golfing, and grilling. He is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys fishing, hunting, and camping.
- Custer and his wife adopted a Terrier breed dog and named her Honey Custer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who Does Cole Custer Race For?
Cole competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing and part-time in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing.
Why was Cole Custer suspended?
NASCAR penalized Cole Custer and his team for attempting to help teammate Chase Briscoe gain positions on the final lap of Sunday’s Cup playoff race by impeding other competitors.
Who is Cole Custer’s Wife?
Custer is married to the love of his life Kari Witt.
