Haas Factory Team has not had the brightest NASCAR Cup Series debut. Cole Custer, the 2023 Xfinity Series champion, had a tough time adjusting to the premier level. He finished 25th at the Phoenix Raceway finale, which was just one of his string of heartbreaking results across 2025. He had just two top-5 finishes, three top-10 finishes, 10 laps led, and a 23.6 average finishing position.
Nevertheless, Cole Custer is not ready to let the year end on a disappointing note. His team, HFT, had cultivated a partnership with Texas A&M University. And that bond recently yielded fruit as Custer’s assets were displayed in a show of reverence for American veterans.
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NASCAR works with students for a noble event
A fantastic tournament unfolded recently between two college teams, and one emerged victorious. That was the Texas A&M University team, which beat Samford University’s students. But alongside the football match was a heartfelt tribute for the nation’s veterans at the annual Military Appreciation Game at Kyle Field. And as a part of this noble exercise, the University partnered with NASCAR’s Haas Factory Team. An X post read, “Outside the stadium, students partner with @NASCAR’s @HaasFactoryTeam for hands‑on engineering experience and support veterans through Operation Hat Trick.”
Visitors to the College Station campus also had the opportunity to see two Texas A&M-branded racecars driven by Cole Custer. The NASCAR driver drove one car at the Coca-Cola 600, featuring a military-inspired livery as a tribute to honor fallen service members and Aggie Capt. Ronald Forrester ’69. The other, driven at NASCAR’s Martinsville race in October, showcases the university’s Force For Good design.
Also on the field was the Texas A&M Formula SAE team, the same student group that enjoyed a one-day track experience at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. During the 2025 summer break, three engineering students engaged in a once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity in North Carolina, home to HFT’s headquarters. The interns applied what they learned in their Texas A&M classrooms to the high-octane world of NASCAR.
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Texas A&M University’s association with NASCAR is nothing new. The institution had sponsored the No. 4 and No. 14 Ford Mustangs of Josh Berry and Chase Briscoe in 2024, when Stewart-Haas Racing was still in operation. That sponsorship transferred over to HFT, which Gene Haas made from the remnants of SHR. And Cole Custer was happy about this partnership. “I’m proud to carry the Texas A&M branding on our No. 41 Ford Mustang this season,” he said at the beginning of 2025. “The Aggie Core Values align well with our philosophy at Haas and resonate with the NASCAR fanbase.”
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Alongside celebrating the nation’s veterans, Haas Factory Team is also gearing up for 2026.
A new alliance on board
Haas Factory Team may not have made a mark in 2025, but they are not backing down. A fresh set of developments awaits the team in 2026, one of them being a switch from Ford to Chevrolet. Yet alongside its own development, HFT is also helping a family-run team develop. HFT is partnering with Jeremy Clements Racing for a technical alliance for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. As part of the partnership, JCR will campaign the No. 51 Chevrolet out of HFT’s facility in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
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This alliance spells big opportunities for JCR, providing enhanced resources, advanced technology, and other stuff to pursue its goal of competing at the top tier of the NASCAR OAP Series. “We’ve always fought hard as a single-car team, but this is a major opportunity for us, and partnering with the Haas Factory Team means a lot! We’re excited for what’s ahead,” Clements said. His team will enter its 16th season on NASCAR’s second tier, with sponsors like All South Electric, Alliance Driveaway Solutions, and many others.
Evidently, Haas Factory Team is revving up its involvement ahead of the 2026 season. Let’s wait and see if the team can flip its 2025 narrative.
NASCAR’s Gene Haas & Co. Celebrate US Veterans at Texas A&M University
