Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Atlanta NXS Advance

RILEY HERBST
Atlanta NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: Nalley Cars 250 (Round 5 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, March 19
• Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1.54-mile oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 5 p.m. EDT on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• After three weeks out West, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to the Southeast for the Nalley Cars 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In the series’ return to NASCAR’s hotbed, Riley Herbst expects to turn some hot laps around the recently reconfigured 1.54-mile oval. Since the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing last raced at Atlanta in July, the banking has been increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track has been narrowed from 55-feet wide to 40-feet wide, and it’s all covered in fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to re-create the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Herbst has embraced these changes for two reasons – he finished an impressive fourth in the season-opening race at Daytona and he was one of the few drivers to test at the new Atlanta in early January, giving him a leg up on his Xfinity Series counterparts.

• Herbst came out of the gates strong to begin his third full season in the Xfinity Series. After finishing fourth at Daytona, he stayed up front, finishing ninth Feb. 26 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and 14th March 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the series’ fourth race of the year last Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, Herbst endured his first bit of adversity. After climbing from his 21st-place starting spot in the race’s first 20 laps, Herbst spun in turns three and four of the 1-mile oval, backing hard into the outside retaining wall. Herbst was able to walk away from the accident, and while the resulting 38th-place finish stung, Herbst’s body of work to start the season kept him among the top-10 in the championship standings.

• The Nalley Cars 250 will mark Herbst’s 81st career Xfinity Series start and his fourth at Atlanta. The 23-year-old racer from Las Vegas has 10 top-fives and 36 top-10s dating back to his first career start on June 17, 2018 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, where he finished an impressive sixth as a 19-year-old. Herbst’s best finish at Atlanta is sixth, earned last March.

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

After last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Phoenix, you headed to the Gila River Arena in Glendale to watch your fellow Monster Energy athletes in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour. What did you see there and, from your vantage point, how does wrestling a bull compare with wrestling a 3,300-pound Xfinity Series car?

“Both can be unpredictable. These riders never know how the bulls are going to react and the same goes with our Monster Energy Ford Mustang. You can prepare in every single way but, ultimately, you’re at the mercy of the your ride. The similarities between the two sports is ironic. There are two beasts – one alive and one mechanical – that you’re trying to control. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

How long have you been a Monster Energy athlete and, like the PBR event last weekend at Phoenix, what are some of the other cool things you’ve been able to do with your fellow Monster Energy athletes?

“It’s been a few years, now, that I’ve been a Monster Energy athlete, but their history with my family and off-road racing is a long one. Monster Energy has such a directory of incredible athletes and we’re always looking for ways to interact with them. Last year, I collaborated with a pro skateboarder and another Monster Energy athlete, Nyjah Huston, for a giveaway. Opportunities like that make you thankful for that network.”

Last week’s race at Phoenix didn’t end how you would’ve liked, but you’re still off to a strong start to the season and you’re 10th in points. What do you have to do this weekend at Atlanta to help you in the race for the playoffs?

“We have to get stage points and a strong finish. Last weekend hurt us in the points, but we have an opportunity to leave it all behind and continue to perform at the level that we know we can. We really don’t know what to expect at Atlanta, but all we can do is prepare and take advantage of Friday’s practice session. This Monster Energy team is strong and I know that we can get to victory lane soon.”

You and the No. 98 team are one of a few Xfinity Series teams that had the opportunity to test at Atlanta since its reconfiguration and repave. What are your expectations for this weekend?

“I’m excited for Atlanta. Expectations are high since we’re one of the few teams that got to test there in the offseason. The track is definitely different from what it used to be, but it’s a new challenge and we’re ready for it. I feel like that test helped give the No. 98 Monster Energy team an idea of what to expect 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

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