Monster Energy Driver Picks Up Second Top-Five at Daytona
Date: Saturday, Feb. 19
Event: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (Round 1 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 120 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th / 4th (Running, completed 120 of 120 laps)
Point Standing: 3rd (42 points, nine out of first)
Race Winner: Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Overview:
Riley Herbst picked up right where he left off last year by scoring a strong fourth-place finish in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday night at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing ended 2021 with a fourth-place drive in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Herbst was a top-10 mainstay at Daytona, starting 10th and staying among the top-10 throughout the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300. In the end, a two-wide battle to the finish worked out in Herbst’s favor as the Las Vegas native crossed the line in fourth to earn the 10th top-five of his nascent Xfinity Series career.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“This was our goal. We finished last year’s season finale at Phoenix in fourth and we wanted another top five. That’s what we were missing last year was consistency, so it was good to start 2022 with a top-five run. We had a fast Monster Energy Ford Mustang.”
Notes:
● Herbst finished third in the first stage to earn eight bonus points and 10th in the second stage to earn one more bonus point.
● This was Herbst’s second top-five at Daytona. He equaled his previous best finish at Daytona – fourth in August 2020.
● Austin Hill won the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 to score his first career Xfinity Series victory.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 28 laps.
● Twenty-one of the 38 drivers in the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 finished on the lead lap.
● AJ Allmendinger leaves Daytona as the championship leader by just two points over second-place Austin Hill.
Next Up:
The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Production Alliance 300 on Saturday, Feb. 26 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 5 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
