Cole Custer looking to defend 2023 Chicago Street Race title

With a donut in the win column through the first 17 races of 2024, Cole Custer is looking to defend his 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the Chicago Street Race.

Even without a win on the stat sheet, Custer has put together an extremely impressive 2024 campaign, leading the Xfinity Series points standings with 14 top-10 finishes.

With a Cup Series opportunity on the Haas Factory Team likely on the horizon in 2025, the second half of Custer's 2024 Xfinity Series season won't mean much in the grand scheme of things. However, putting together a consistent season only bolsters his stock with each passing week, and winning the most unique race on the schedule for the second year in a row would certainly make him a viable Cup Series option for any team that could come calling.

It should be known that a small asterisk could be placed next to Custer's 2023 Chicago win — a race that was called due to weather after just 25 of 55 laps — but the Ladera Ranch, Calif., native still put on a clinic in the Windy City, leading wire-to-wire in NASCAR's first-ever street race.

Custer doesn't need a win to make the postseason; he currently sits 221 points above the playoff cut line with nine regular-season races remaining. But it never hurts to stock up on all-important playoff points, especially with the regular-season championship being far from a guarantee.

Custer has come close to victory on several occasions in 2024, but if the No. 00 team were to put together a winning performance on Saturday, it would solidify Custer as a legitimate championship threat.

In a race likely to run the entirety of its scheduled 50-lap distance, Custer will have to battle the likes of AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen for the victory. If he can do so successfully, his popularity among Cup Series team owners will only continue to increase.