Kyle Busch walks with his crew as they push his car toward the qualifying line for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cole Custer takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Brandon Jones’ race car comes to a stop after hitting barrels of sand a the entrance to pit lane during the late laps of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The crew of Cole Custer celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cole Custer celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Kyle Larson climbs into his race car for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Drivers Daniiel Suarez (99) and Chase Elliott (9) race down the front stretch during practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Brad Keselowski prepares for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Kyle Busch walks down the pit lane to his race car as he prepares for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A crew member watches practice from a top the pit wall for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Drivers Daniel Suarez (99) and Bubba Wallace (23) race down the front stretch during practice for Sunday’s NASCAR WISE Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Bubba Wallace speaks with his crew after spinning out during qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Austin Cindric celebrates with a crew member after winning the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Race cars pull off the pit lane for practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Kyle Busch drives down the front stretch during practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Austin Cindric celebrates with a crew member after winning the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Austin Cindric celebrates with a crew member after winning the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Bubba Wallace prepares for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Brad Keselowski prepares for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Ryan Blaney signs autographs for race fans prior to qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Bubba Wallace climbs out of his race car after spinning out during qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Daniel Suarez climbs into his race car for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Kyle Larson walks to his race car for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Chase Elliott speaks with a crew member following qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Cody Ware waits for qualifying to begin for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Alex Bowman signs an autograph for a race fan prior to qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Austin Cindric waits in the pit lane for qualifying for qualifying to begin for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Austin Cindric celebrates with a crew member after winning the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Alex Bowman sits in his race car prior to qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Driver Austin Cindric drives down the front stretch during practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The crew of Daniel Hemric push his car down the pit lane for qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
FONTANA – What started out Saturday as crash city ended up closer to demolition derby.
The morning wind gusts subsided before the running of the Xfinity Series race in the afternoon, but the crashes did not. And the blame couldn’t be put on newly designed cars either.
On this circuit, sort of the triple-A of NASCAR, the cars are the same as in past years. So, the 58 laps run under 12 caution flags just happened. There were four cautions in the final 10 laps.
The worst crash came in the third overtime, causing a 23-minute delay for cleanup. NASCAR races no longer end on caution flags – they go into overtime instead.
When Brandon Jones’ car smashed into a bunch of sand-filled barrels that serve as protection from a concrete barrier, it created a mess that it took a huge crew to clean up.
But after the race resumed, and things were all said and done, Orange County’s Cole Custer, 24, emerged the victor under the lights at Auto Club Speedway. Time and time he had to hold off contenders in his SS-Green Light Racing Ford. He was only seconds away from winning when Jones crashed.
Then came Custer’s last stand as he achieved his 10th Xfinity Series victory before a sparse crowd. He won the Xfinity race at Auto Club Speedway in 2019.
“Just an awesome car,” Custer said. “That thing was just a rocket ship all day. It was unreal how fast we were.”
Custer, who calls Ladera Heights in southern Orange County home, mainly drives in the Cup Series for Stewart-Haas Racing. Earlier Saturday, he qualified 21st for today’s WISE Power 400 in his Stewart-Haas Ford.
Custer’s father, Joe, is the president of Stewart-Hass. Custer’s victory Saturday was his 10th in the Xfinity Series, but he raced only once on the second-tier circuit in 2021.
Related Articles
NASCAR’s WISE Power 400 qualifying turns chaotic
Alexander: Bowman knows another NASCAR win in Fontana won’t be the same
NASCAR makes quick return to Southern California
Austin Cindric wins Daytona 500 to celebrate Penske’s 85th birthday
NHRA Winternationals: Justin Ashley wins Top Fuel final in Pomona
It was fitting he won Saturday’s Xfinity race, which is sponsored by the Alliance Group, an L.A. company that provides private security. Alliance is also Custer’s main sponsor.
Jones, in discussing his accident, said: “I got halfway caught on the grass and halfway on the pavement, and the rear tires were in the grass so I could not get anything to grip up for me to get out of that grass. I saw it coming. I never have hit the sand before. A ton of impact there, and I really didn’t feel much of anything, which is surprising, so good job by those guys.”
A hint of what was to come occurred on the race’s eighth lap when Landon Cassill’s car caught fire and burst into flames. Cassill pulled over and easily got out.
Custer is a graduate of Tesoro High in Rancho Santa Margarita, class of 2016. He moved with his family to Charlotte but is now back home and making a name for himself.
