RILEY HERBST
Daytona NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (Round 1 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Feb. 19
• Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
• Layout: 2.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EST on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• Riley Herbst kicks off his second season behind the wheel of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener – The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. His first race with the team came in last year’s opening round at Daytona, and Herbst appeared to be on his way to a strong finish after leading 12 laps in the first stage and narrowly missing the stage win as Brandon Jones pipped him for the top spot by a scant .004 of a second. Herbst continued to be a contender for the race win despite falling all the way back to 22nd in the second stage. He rallied his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang to as high as third in the final stage, only to be collected in a multicar accident less than 14 laps from the finish.
• The familiar green Monster Energy claw will once again adorn Herbst’s No. 98 Ford Mustang at Daytona. The partnership continues with Herbst for his third fulltime season in the Xfinity Series. Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, the company supports the scene and sport. Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports partnerships, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans.
• The Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 will be Herbst’s sixth Xfinity Series start on Daytona’s 2.5-mile oval. When the series last visited the track in August, Herbst scored a 10th-place finish after leading nine laps. He’s led 25 laps over the past three Xfinity Series races at Daytona. In his previous three starts there, Herbst earned top-20 finishes in each, including two top-10s. His best Daytona finish was fourth, earned in August 2020.
• Herbst has four starts on Daytona’s historic 2.5-mile oval outside of the Xfinity Series – three in the ARCA Menards Series and one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – with a best of seventh in the Truck Series season opener in February 2020. He’ll participate in Friday night’s Truck Series race in the No. 17 Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing.
• Richard Boswell returns as the crew chief for Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team. The 37-year-old begins his sixth year with SHR and his second with Herbst. Boswell’s father, Dickie Boswell, successfully campaigned a Late Model stock car out of the family’s hometown of Friendship, Maryland. The elder Boswell ultimately competed in 57 Xfinity Series races with four top-five finishes over six seasons in the 1980s.
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
You ended the 2021 season on a high note with back-to-back top-10 finishes after what most would’ve considered a tough year. What is the plan heading into the new season?
“Last year was my first with Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford Performance and we learned a bunch, for sure. I think we ended the season on a high note with 10th at Martinsville and fourth at Phoenix. We’re hoping to take those runs and build on it this year to have more good races and get some wins.”
You’re back with crew chief Richard Boswell and most of the same No. 98 Monster Energy crew as last year. How helpful is to maintain that continuity as you enter a new season?
“It helps a lot. To have another season with Richard as my crew chief and the guys is tremendous. It’s a lot different than last year. We’re starting out the season knowing each other and at a point where they know what I mean when I say certain words. I know we can have a really good year. Hopefully, we’ll start off strong in Daytona.”
Daytona is a wild card where anything can happen. How do you strategize heading into this race?
“Daytona is unpredictable. You go there with a plan but, ultimately, anything can happen. During last year’s season opener, I was leading laps and almost won the first stage, but one accident took me out of contention for a strong finish. The No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang was strong at Daytona last season, so hopefully we can keep that trend rolling.”
Last season, you led laps during both Daytona races. Does coming back to a track where you know you had speed give you an added degree of confidence?
“I think we have the speed to go be competitive on any racetrack, but then when you go to a track where you had speed last year, we know that we can capitalize if we do everything right. Anything can happen at Daytona, but I know we can get the job done. Right now, I’m ready to get back to the racetrack because we’re going to be fast.”
No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster
Primary Team Members:
Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland
Car Chief: Matt Noyce
Hometown: Oregon, Wisconsin
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: Trevor White
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Fueler: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia
Jackman: Brandon Banks
Hometown: High Point, North Carolina
Road Crew Members:
Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey
Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine
