RILEY HERBST
Dover NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing
NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: A-Game 200 (Round 10 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, April 30
• Location: Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway
• Layout: 1-mile, concrete oval
• Time/TV/Radio: 1:30 p.m. EDT on FS1/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
• Riley Herbst and Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway are an appropriate pair. Herbst is the driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing and Dover is best known as the “Monster Mile”. At a track that can chew up and spit out even the most seasoned racers, Herbst has acquitted himself well on the concrete-clad, 1-mile oval. In four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover, Herbst has scored two top-10 finishes with a best result of sixth on Aug. 22, 2020. He has never finished outside the top-20.
• Herbst’s solid runs at the Monster Mile aren’t confined to the Xfinity Series. He also has two starts at Dover in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. In the 2016 and 2017 races, Herbst finished eighth and seventh, respectively.
• Herbst comes into Dover having finished among the top-10 in four of his last five Xfinity Series races, including a run of three straight. The 23-year-old racer from Las Vegas finished seventh in the series’ prior race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to secure his sixth top-10 in the nine races run this season. He is 10th in the championship standings as he heads into the 10th race of the season.
• The A-Game 200 will mark Herbst’s 86th career Xfinity Series start. His resume includes 12 top-fives and 40 top-10s. His best finish is second, earned twice – in February 2020 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and July 2020 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
• While still seeking his first Xfinity Series win, Herbst is driving for an Xfinity Series winner. Stewart-Haas Racing owns two Xfinity Series victories at Dover – October 2019 with Cole Custer and August 2020 with Chase Briscoe.
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
You had a solid weekend at Talladega with a seventh-place finish. With six top-10s in the nine races run this year, do you feel like you’re in a better position at this point in the season than you were last year?
“We’re in a better spot this year over last year, for sure. Richard (Boswell, crew chief) and I talked about it at the beginning of the season – that we needed to be consistent this year, and that’s just what we’re doing. I feel like we had a shot there to win at Talladega, but in the scramble at the end, it didn’t work out in our favor. Happy to come home with a top-10, still. Our consistency and hard work will pay off, though. This No. 98 Monster Energy team is a winning team.”
Dover is best known as the Monster Mile. What are your thoughts heading into such a difficult and unpredictable track?
“Dover’s a cool track, but it’s also really tough. You have to be confident there and be comfortable with your car. We got into some trouble there last year with contact early on, but I’ve had good runs there in the past. Hopefully, we can stay out of trouble and be there at the end of it this year.”
Monster Energy has been a big part of your career and you have a great relationship with them. What does it mean to have that support and network from such a big company?
“I’m grateful for my relationship with them and for their support. I was fortunate enough to go to Monster Energy’s 20th birthday party a few weeks ago out on the West Coast. It was so cool to see all of the people from the company and other Monster Energy athletes. Honestly, it’s an honor to be a part of that brand and to sport that logo. It’s something that I won’t take for granted. I’m fortunate to be in the position that I’m in and Monster Energy is my family, for sure. I’m happy to have them on the car again this season and hopefully we can get them to victory lane.”
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
Tire Specialist: Austin Quick
Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona
