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The NASCAR report: Could Vegas test session mean more for Cole Custer than we assume?
Trey Campbell
Jan 30, 2018, 6:24 am
This week at Las Vegas Motor speedway, The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will hold a two-day test session. While there will be a number of drivers there including Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Darrell Wallace Jr, the name that brings the most intrigue is NASCAR Xfinity driver Cole Custer. He will be behind the wheel of the number 32 Can-Am Ford owned by long time Crew Chief Frank Stoddard and former Go Green Racing owner Archie St. Hillare. While it may seem like just another young driver getting a chance to get some extra laps in a cup car in preseason, this particular combination stands out more than the others. Could this paring mean that there is a new alliance forming between Go Fas racing and Stewart-Haas? Logistically, it makes sense seeing how Custer has been heavily touted as the next young driver to move up to Cup. (plus, his father Joe Custer is the executive Vice President for Stewart-Haas racing) If he is to move up to the Cup series this season more than likely he would be running a partial schedule until a car is available at Stewart-Haas (which is likely seeing how they signed Kurt Busch for only one year) Could this mean that Cole Custer could drive a few races in Cup this season and replace Kurt Busch in 2019? It all just seems to come together perfectly. While Go Fas racing already has two drivers lined up with Matt DiBenedetto and Joey Gase, if there is one thing I know about NASCAR it is that nothing is ever absolute and if a smaller team like this one can partner up with a powerhouse like Stewart-Haas, I think that they would show one of those two drivers the door in favor of Custer in a heartbeat. Overall, I think that it would be a shame to see another accomplished veteran lose his ride to another younger driver who brings more sponsorship dollars, but in the end, at least Custer has had success in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. he has able to contend for wins each week. In fact he was one lap away from possibly making the championship four this year in the Xfinity series so it's a relief to see someone with a good bit of talent get to move up even if he does have connections within the Stewart-Haas racing team. It will be interesting to watch all of these possible storylines play out here in the coming days as race fans gear up for the Daytona 500 in mid-February.
Luis Robert Jr. homered, Shane Smith pitched six effective innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Edgar Quero had two RBIs as last-place Chicago won for the fourth time in five games.
Robert hit a run-scoring double in the second and his sixth homer in the fourth, a solo drive to left-center off Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2). He also made a sliding catch on Jake Meyers' liner to center in the eighth, stranding runners on the corners.
Smith (3-3) allowed one run and seven hits in his second straight win.
Grant Taylor, one of Chicago's top prospects, worked a 1-2-3 seventh in his major league debut. He hit 101.5 mph on his first pitch, a ball to Victor Caratini.
Brandon Eisert handled the ninth for his second save.
Isaac Paredes and Yainer Diaz each hit a sacrifice fly for Houston in the opener of a six-game homestand. McCullers permitted four runs and four hits in five innings.
Chicago scored two runs in the third to open a 3-0 lead. With two out and the bases loaded, Quero hit a two-run single to left.
Meyers and Caratini hit back-to-back singles in the fourth, but Shane Smith got Cam Smith to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Smith has won back-to-back starts for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old right-hander went into the game leading all MLB rookies with a 2.45 ERA.
Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA) is expected to pitch Wednesday for the White Sox against Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in the second of a three-game series.