Monster Energy Driver Erases Two-Lap Deficit to Earn Second Top-Five of 2022
Date: Saturday, March 19
Event: Nalley Cars 250 (Round 5 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 163 laps, broken into three stages (40 laps/40 laps/83 laps)
Start/Finish: 24th / 4th (Running, completed 172 of 172 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (128 points, 95 out of first)
Note: Race extended nine laps past its scheduled 163-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Josh Berry of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Overview:
Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team showed their speed and strength after going from two laps down to finish fourth in the Nalley Cars 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Tire pressure issues forced the team to pit before the green flag. Despite being forced to start at the rear, Herbst worked his way up 13th by the conclusion of first stage and into the top-10 just a few laps into the second stage. Rising water temperatures in the second stage forced the team to give up their top-10 spot to pit under green and check the engine. Herbst returned to the field two laps down in 38th. Crew chief Richard Boswell’s strategy was key in getting Herbst back on the lead lap with less than 50 laps to go. After successfully avoiding a wreck with 10 laps to go, Herbst was running sixth. As the race went into double overtime, Herbst earned his second top-five of the 2022 season.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“It’s more disgust to be honest with you. I mean, this is a top-five race team week in and week out. We got lucky and got another top-five finish, which we needed. We didn’t get any stage points, so that hurt us, but we worked hard so we’re proud of that, but we’ve got to clean some things up if we want to go win races.”
Notes:
● Ty Gibbs won the Nalley Cars 250 to score his sixth career Xfinity Series victory, his first at Atlanta and his second of the season. His margin over second-place Austin Hill was .178 of a second.
● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 56 laps.
● Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers in the Nalley Cars 250 finished on the lead lap.
● Noah Gragson remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 19-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.
Next Up:
The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Pit Boss 250 on Saturday, March 26 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The race starts at 4:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
