RILEY HERBST
Fontana NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Production Alliance 300 (Round 2 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Feb. 26
• Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
• Layout: 2-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EST on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• Riley Herbst is a freshly minted 23-year-old who comes into Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, riding plenty of momentum after a strong fourth-place finish last Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Herbst turned 23 on Feb. 24, and the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) sits third in the championship point standings thanks to his fourth-place drive at Daytona. In addition to being a year wiser, Herbst comes into the second race of the season in a much more advantageous position than he did last year when in his SHR debut at Daytona he was collected in a multicar accident with less than 20 laps remaining to finish an undeserved 26th.
• Herbst’s strong run at Daytona follows him to one of his stronger tracks. Fontana is the site of his career-best Xfinity Series finish – second, earned when the series last raced at the track in 2020. Herbst later equaled that result a little less than five months later when he finished second at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
• Herbst has made only one Xfinity Series start at Fontana. He was a rookie in 2020 and when he finished second on Feb. 29, he and most everyone else had no indication that it would be two years before NASCAR returned to the 2-mile oval in Southern California. COVID-19 had just started to get people’s attention, but two weeks after Herbst’s career-best finish, COVID shut racing and the sports world down. California was especially hard hit, jettisoning Auto Club Speedway from the NASCAR schedule in 2021. Thankfully, progress has been made in the fight against COVID, and this weekend marks the triumphant return of Fontana to the NASCAR calendar, just in time to celebrate the track’s 25th anniversary.
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
You’re coming off a top-five finish in the season opener at Daytona. How helpful is it for this No. 98 Monster Energy team to come out of the gate strong?
“That finish at Daytona was huge. Last year, I think we had three DNFs in a row and that just put us in a hole, and then we battled back all year long. To start the season off with a fourth, all of these 98 guys deserve to be in victory lane and we’re working really hard to get there.”
Last time you were in Fontana you earned a career-best second-place finish. Does that help boost your confidence as you head back to Auto Club Speedway this weekend?
“It does, but you also have to think that it’s been two years since we raced here. I know that I can run well there, and I’m hoping that carries over and I can put our Monster Energy Ford Mustang in victory lane on Saturday. We had speed last week. This No. 98 team can get it done, and hopefully I can finish one spot better at Auto Club this year.”
Talk about what it would mean to put yourself and Monster Energy in victory lane this weekend.
“We’re all racing to win. We had a great run at Daytona but, ultimately, the goal is to knock down some victories early on and secure our spot in the playoffs. I’ve come close to a win several times, but could never quite close the deal. Hopefully, this season will bring a change of luck and I can go to victory lane with the No. 98 team and Monster Energy. Their support means everything, so it would feel great to get them there.”
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
