RILEY HERBST
Texas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 (Round 30 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 16
• Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 3 p.m. EDT on NBC/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• While Riley Herbst is out of the championship picture, there is still one big goal he aims to achieve during the final four NASCAR Xfinity Series races of 2021. A mechanical issue last Saturday at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval prevented Herbst from advancing to the Round of 8, but the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) seeks personal advancement by securing his first career Xfinity Series win. That drive starts anew this Saturday in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Texas is a 1.5-mile oval and one of the many intermediate tracks on the Xfinity Series calendar. Herbst has shown strength on intermediates, most notably with a pair of runner-up finishes – March 2020 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and July 2020 at Kentucky Motor Speedway in Sparta. He has finished among the top-15 in 25 of his 38 starts on intermediate-style tracks.
• Even though a championship isn’t in the cards for Herbst, points still matter. The 22-year-old racer from Las Vegas comes into Texas 12th in the driver standings with 2,037 points. He is only nine points behind Jeremy Clements, 38 points behind Myatt Snider, and 45 points behind Jeb Burton. Earning ninth place by season’s end is a possibility for Herbst. It will take a string of strong runs, similar to the stretch he had between mid-July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and the regular-season finale in September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway where he scored six top-10s in the span of eight races, which ultimately secured his spot in the 16-driver playoff field.
• The Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 will mark Herbst’s 73rd career Xfinity Series start and his fourth at Texas. Herbst’s best finish at Texas is 12th, earned in the series’ prior visit to the track in June.
• SHR has one Xfinity Series win at Texas. Cole Custer delivered the victory in November 2018, beating Tyler Reddick by .162 of a second.
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
There are still four races to go in the 2021 season. What are your goals for the remainder of the year?
“The goal is to win one. That’s been my goal all season long, and we still have four more chances to get the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang to victory lane. We’ve grown all year, and despite the bad luck we’ve experienced, we’ve gotten better with each race. I know we can win.”
Monster Energy has been with you for a number of years and will be back with you again for the 2022 season. Talk about what the company’s support means to you and your career.
“Monster Energy has been a great partner. They’ve been with me for quite a few years and to have their support in my career means everything. We’ve been close to getting them to victory lane a few times, and I want to get them there soon. I’m excited that they’ll be back with me on the No. 98 Ford Mustang in 2022, as well. Big things are coming for this team.”
Talk about your experience at Texas.
“Texas hasn’t been my best track, but we’re working on it. I’ve been strong on intermediate tracks in the past, but for some reason I haven’t been able to put it together at Texas. I got my best finish there over the summer with the No. 98 team, so hopefully we can bring the speed and build on that this weekend.”
No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster
Primary Team Members:
Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland
Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan
Over-The-Wall Crew:
Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois
Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina
Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Fueler: James Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California
Jackman: Sean Cotten
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Road Crew Members:
Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey
Front End Mechanic: Mike Brill
Hometown: Woodsville, New Hampshire
Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine
