The Truck Series Championship 4 race has put the community in a fix. The story started with Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim, the two favorites to win at the Phoenix Raceway. However, the events in the race were not exactly favorable for a title pursuit, as both contenders concluded the race with little to show for their efforts.

The fans and fellow drivers have crucified Cup Series-bound Hocevar for his repetitive involvement in such incidents. The latest driver to comment on the tug-of-war during the Truck Series finale is the newly crowned Xfinity Series champion, Cole Custer. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver made a strong return to the second tier after three quiet years in the Cup Series.

The tale of two Championship 4 races

While the Truck Series championship race seemed difficult owing to the chaos present on the track, the drivers played a big part in it. When Corey Heim passed Hocevar, who was leading among the contenders in sixth, it triggered a switch inside the 20-year-old driver. He immediately pushed to annex his position and ended up nudging the left-rear panel and spun Heim and Stewart Friesen on consecutive turns.

Similarly, Hocevar attempted to overtake Heim again, going to the outside on Turn 2. However, Heim retaliated with a movement to the right that sent both trucks crashing into the wall. Nevertheless, all their efforts were futile as Ben Rhodes took advantage of the ruckus and claimed a second Craftsman Truck Series title. Since then, every corner of the NASCAR community has been abuzz discussing the turn of events that unfolded on the big day.

The race, yet again, popped up during the popular podcast ‘Door Bumper Clear’. Cole Custer graced the show in its latest episode, and a comparison between the two series finales was a question for the 25-year-old.

Custer said, “It was something. I knew it wasn’t going to happen to us. I knew that the championship 4 in our deal were respectful, and they wanted to do it right. But that Truck deal, man, it is wild.”

The Xfinity championship race was just as Custer described. The final 4 were going neck-to-neck in the overtime restart, and the race could have ended either way. John Hunter Nemechek even grabbed the lead for a brief moment before spinning to the back of the track. Even for Custer, the win came just 0.601 seconds ahead of RCR driver Sheldon Creed. However, there were no unfair and intentional wrecks that ruined the rhythm of the title contenders, unlike the Truck Series.

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A season of redemption for Cole Custer

Tony Stewart recently announced that Cole Custer will return to the #00 car in 2024. The happiness of getting another year of Xfinity racing after a hiatus of three years translated into maximum efforts in the finale and a championship. The transition from the #41 Ford in the Cup to the #00 team in Xfinity has paid in dividends, and Custer seemed to have regained his confidence.

Consistency has been one of his fortes in 2023. Having racked up 11 consecutive top-10 finishes from early April to early July, he used road courses to seal his spot in the playoffs. This approach paid off for them in the playoffs as well. Custer finished P6 or better in the first four races of the postseason. While this propelled him to the Round of 8 easily, the real test arrived in the penultimate elimination round.

Custer’s finish at Martinsville is nothing short of a cinematic sequence. Involved in a multi-car accident that put his car in flames, the champion had to go in reverse to get to the finish line and claim a place in Phoenix.

Having finished second in the championship on two prior instances, he knew the frustration that would come with a loss. However, this time, he stood his ground and took the win to round off an excellent season.

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