Cole Custer (41) celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, July 12, 2020, in Sparta, Ky. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

SPARTA, Ky. — Cole Custer became the first rookie winner in the NASCAR Cup Series in nearly four years, surging to the lead in a four-wide, final-lap scramble Sunday at Kentucky Speedway.

Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. were dueling side by side for the lead on the lap 265 final restart when Custer — with a push from Matt DiBenedetto on the outside in the backstretch — made his move in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. As the leaders bunched in Turn 1, Custer slid ahead and outlasted Truex’s Toyota.

“I knew I just had to get to the top,” said Custer, who led twice for five laps — the first of his young career. “The top rolled pretty good and once I got past and I was like in third I was like, ‘I’ve just got to take a shot and do whatever I can here.’

“And it ended up the 4 (Harvick) and the 19 (Truex) got together a little bit and I was able to take advantage of it.”

Though Custer raced to a Kentucky win last July in the Xfinity Series, he and other drivers entered Sunday without a chance to practice or qualify.

Matt Kenseth’s Turn 4 spin forced the final caution and created the opportunity for Custer’s victory. He finished 25th after starting from the back with Truex as both failed two prerace inspections.

The victory was the first by a series rookie since Chris Buescher at Pocono on Aug. 1, 2016. Making his 20th series start, the 22-year-old Custer celebrated with a frontstretch burnout as his crew happily ran to greet him.

DiBenedetto was third, and Harvick fourth — both in Fords. Kurt Busch, the winner last year, was fifth.

Aric Almirola made his case at the start, pushing pole-sitter Kyle Busch forward from the outside and chasing in the early laps before taking over nine laps later and threatening to run away from it. Almirola led 128 of the first 137 laps — nearly 40 more than he has led all season.

Ryan Blaney and DiBenedetto took their turns in front before Keselowski inherited it on pit road during green-flag pit cycles. That didn’t last long as Truex quickly stalked him on the last-stage restart and took over on 181 in hopes of his third Kentucky win in four years. Truex settled for watching Custer take the win.

“The 41 (Custer) just came with a big head of steam and there was no way I was going to be able to block that,” Truex said. “He was just in the right place at the right time, I guess.”—

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart Results

Sunday

At Kentucky Speedway

Sparta, Ky.

Lap length: 1.50 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (29) Cole Custer, Ford, 267 laps, 48 points.

2. (9) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, 267, 42.

3. (10) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 267, 43.

4. (3) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 267, 38.

5. (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267, 35.

6. (11) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 267, 46.

7. (34) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 267, 30.

8. (4) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267, 39.

9. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, 38.

10. (24) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 267, 27.

11. (21) William Byron, Chevrolet, 267, 26.

12. (12) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, 25.

13. (19) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 267, 28.

14. (15) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 267, 25.

15. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, 37.

16. (33) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 267, 21.

17. (23) Ryan Newman, Ford, 267, 20.

18. (20) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267, 22.

19. (5) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267, 27.

20. (13) Chris Buescher, Ford, 267, 17.

21. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 267, 16.

22. (16) Erik Jones, Toyota, 267, 16.

23. (8) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 267, 23.

24. (30) Michael McDowell, Ford, 267, 13.

25. (17) Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet, 267, 12.

26. (37) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 267, 11.

27. (18) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 265, 10.

28. (27) Corey Lajoie, Ford, 264, 9.

29. (14) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 264, 8.

30. (36) JJ Yeley, Ford, 260, 0.

31. (31) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 259, 6.

32. (26) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 257, 0.

33. (25) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 257, 0.

34. (35) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 257, 0.

35. (28) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 255, 2.

36. (22) John H. Nemechek, Ford, accident, 248, 1.

37. (38) Timmy Hill, Toyota, electrical, 170, 0.

38. (32) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, transmission, 159, 1.

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Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 133.638 mph.

Time of Race: 2 hours, 59 minutes, 49 seconds.

Margin of Victory: .271 seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 42 laps.

Lead Changes: 13 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders: Ky.Busch 0-9; A.Almirola 10-137; R.Blaney 138-149; M.DiBenedetto 150; B.Keselowski 151-180; M.Truex 181-219; B.Keselowski 220-223; C.Custer 224-227; W.Byron 228-231; M.Truex 232-248; R.Blaney 249-254; K.Harvick 255-265; M.Truex 266; C.Custer 267

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): A.Almirola, 1 time for 128 laps; M.Truex, 3 times for 57 laps; B.Keselowski, 2 times for 34 laps; R.Blaney, 2 times for 18 laps; K.Harvick, 1 time for 11 laps; Ky.Busch, 1 time for 9 laps; C.Custer, 2 times for 5 laps; W.Byron, 1 time for 4 laps; M.DiBenedetto, 1 time for 1 lap.

Wins: K.Harvick, 4; D.Hamlin, 4; B.Keselowski, 2; J.Logano, 2; R.Blaney, 1; C.Elliott, 1; M.Truex, 1; A.Bowman, 1; C.Custer, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. K.Harvick, 675; 2. B.Keselowski, 587; 3. R.Blaney, 580; 4. C.Elliott, 575; 5. J.Logano, 564; 6. D.Hamlin, 553; 7. M.Truex, 543; 8. A.Almirola, 504; 9. A.Bowman, 498; 10. Ku.Busch, 492; 11. Ky.Busch, 477; 12. M.DiBenedetto, 456; 13. C.Bowyer, 435; 14. W.Byron, 418; 15. J.Johnson, 412; 16. A.Dillon, 388.

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NASCAR Driver Rating Formula

A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.

The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.