Cole Custer had all the makings for a successful defense of his NASCAR Xfinity Series championship from a year ago, leading the title-eligible quartet until Justin Allgaier’s late-race surge. Austin Hill also seemed to have a potential upper hand,

Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champ Cole Custer joins ‘Sports Nation Nightly’ ahead of the Championship 4. He and Joe talk about what it takes to win, the hard work put in behind the scenes, and dealing with a heated rival.

Both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series have seen enough twists and turns in 2024 to fill a Hollywood blockbuster. But it is the latter that will see its finale played out first, as the NASCAR circus heads to Phoenix for the final race of the season.