RILEY HERBST
Las Vegas NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Circa Sports Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Alsco Uniforms 300 (Round 3 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, March 5
• Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.5-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 4:30 p.m. EST on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst is heading home. The Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a hometown race for the 23-year-old driver as Herbst is a Las Vegas native, having grown up in the Entertainment Capital of the World. The Herbst name is well known in Vegas’ motorsports circles. Riley’s grandfather Jerry, uncles Tim and Ed, and father Troy, are all Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame inductees as championship-winning off-road racers. Now, the youngest Herbst intends to keep the family’s motorsports legacy going in the NASCAR world.
• Amplifying Herbst’s hometown connection is Circa Sports, which will be the primary sponsor of Herbst’s No. 98 Ford Mustang in the Alsco Uniforms 300. Circa Sports operates within the World’s Largest Sportsbook at Circa Resort & Casino. It boasts three stories, has a 1,000-person viewing capacity and a seating capacity of 350, where all can watch their favorite sports on a massive, 78-megapixel screen. There are two sister properties as well – Golden Gate Hotel & Casino and the D Las Vegas. Helmed by casino owner and downtown Las Vegas developer Derek Stevens, Circa Sports is blazing a new trail in the gaming industry by combining a customer-first approach to business with a team of the country’s top oddsmakers. Circa Sports has one of the most competitive wagering menus in Las Vegas and is a leader in the city for sports futures.
• Herbst has a bright sports future as well. The driver of the No. 98 Circa Sports Ford Mustang comes into Las Vegas in a three-way tie for fourth in the Xfinity Series championship standings. Herbst, Ryan Sieg and Ty Gibbs have 71 points apiece two races into the 2022 season. Herbst, however, has a slight advantage over the other two drivers as he has the best average finish among the trio. A strong fourth-place effort in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway followed by a ninth-place drive last Saturday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, gives Herbst an average finish of 6.5 compared with Sieg’s 9.0 and Gibbs’ 12.0.
• The Alsco Uniforms 300 will mark Herbst’s sixth career Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas. He has a pair of top-10s in his five previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, both of which were ninth-place runs in September 2019 and February 2020, respectively.
• Herbst is an avid sports fan, particularly of those teams that call Las Vegas home and, specifically, the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). This Thursday, the Golden Knights host the Boston Bruins at 6 p.m. PST and before the puck drops, Herbst will crank the siren and hype the crowd. Herbst has experience in getting the home crowd ready for a game. Before the Xfinity Series’ last race at Las Vegas back in September, Herbst threw out the first pitch for a Thursday night game of the Las Vegas Aviators – the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics.
• As Herbst seeks victory lane at Las Vegas, his No. 98 team at Stewart-Haas Racing already knows the way. The No. 98 team swept both races in 2020 via Chase Briscoe. In February, he beat Austin Cindric by 2.874 seconds. Briscoe then defended that victory with another win just seven months later, beating Noah Gragson by 1.370 seconds.
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Circa Sports Ford Mustang
What are your goals heading into your hometown race?
“The goal is always to win, but I know this team can run well at every track. We just have to stay out of trouble. I have confidence in this team and know that we can perform. We have to finish and avoid wrecks, but we have the speed to put our Circa Sports Ford Mustang in victory lane at my home track. Never count this No. 98 team out.”
Circa Sports joins you this weekend, maximizing your hometown connection to Las Vegas. What does it mean to have a new, Las Vegas-based partner on your No. 98 Ford Mustang for your home race?
“I’m pumped to have Circa Sports on the car at Vegas. It’s a hometown business and to have their support in my racing means a lot. Hopefully, we can have a good weekend for their first outing on our Ford Mustang and win big at home. That would be the best welcome-to-the-team moment we could give them.”
You’re cranking the siren Thursday night for the Vegas Golden Knights’ game against the Boston Bruins. Talk about supporting Las Vegas’ NHL team and having this opportunity.
“I’m a big sports fan, but especially when it comes to Vegas teams. I came out here early last September to throw the first pitch at the Las Vegas Aviators game, and now I’m getting to experience this unreal opportunity with the Vegas Golden Knights. I watch the games and support these teams, so it’s great to collaborate with them when NASCAR comes to town. Definitely excited for Thursday night’s game.”
No. 98 Circa Sports 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
