Cole Custer’s engineer ejected for the WWT Raceway weekend, Haas #41 loses pit selection

Cole Custer’s weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway got off to a rough start after his engineer, Marc Hendrickson, was ejected. The #41 Haas Factory Team Ford failed pre-race inspection twice, resulting in Hendrickson’s suspension from the event and the team losing its pit selection.

Custer remains the lone driver for Haas Factory Team following its downsizing from four to one entry this year. He enters the weekend 33rd in the standings, with just one top-five and two top-10 finishes this season.

NASCAR insider Toby Christie reported the #41 team’s pre-race inspection penalty on X.

“Marc Hendrickson, the engineer for the #41 Haas Factory Team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has been ejected for the race weekend, and the team has lost pit selection due to failing pre-race inspection twice at Gateway,” Christie wrote.

Toby Christie

@Toby_Christie

Marc Hendrickson, the engineer for the No. 41 Haas Factory Team in the #NASCAR Cup Series, has been ejected for the race weekend, and the team has lost pit selection due to failing pre-race inspection twice at Gateway.

The Enjoy Illinois 300 will feature only the 36 full-time drivers, with no part-time entries. The race, serving as the second event of the Round of 16, is set to go green on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

While Cole Custer isn't competing in the NASCAR playoffs, he almost made the cut in the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. He was defending the lead on the final lap before crossing the line in a four-wide finish alongside Justin Haley, Daniel Suarez, and race winner Ryan Blaney.

Looking ahead, Haas Factory Team will transition from Ford to Chevrolet next season, entering a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. This move marks a return to Chevy for the organization, which previously campaigned the bowtie brand from 2009 to 2016, back when three-time champion Tony Stewart was still with the team.

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“He won't tolerate not winning”: Cole Custer's father on Gene Haas' decision to partner with Chevrolet

Joe Custer, president of Haas Factory Team and father of Cole Custer, explained the reasoning behind the switch to Chevrolet for the 2026 season. He noted that team owner Gene Haas expects progress and doesn’t want the organization to face the same struggles it has endured with Ford.

In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Joe Custer said:

“We've had a long relationship with the Hendrick folks, Rick Hendrick himself brought us into this sport. Gene, he's a patient man, but he demands improvement, make no mistake. And so we're not here to do the same thing over next year without, you know, addressing these clear issues we have.”

“And he made that known to our organization that he won't tolerate not improving and not having a trajectory that can get to winning. So we've, we've made some tough decisions and they are tough decisions,” he added.

Cole Custer drives the #41 Ford Mustang for Haas Factory Team - Source: Imagn

With just nine races remaining in the 2025 NASCAR season, including the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, Haas Factory Team is already preparing for its Chevrolet switch. Once the move is complete, the organization will join the bowtie camp alongside Hendrick Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, and Richard Childress Racing, among others.