Herbst Finishes 16th in Rain-Shortened Race at Kansas
Monster Energy Driver Clinches Spot in 12-Driver NASCAR Playoffs
Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
Event: Kansas Lottery 300 (Round 25 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th / 16th (Running, completed 93 of 93 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (673 points, 330 out of first)
Note: Race was called 107 laps short of its scheduled 200-lap distance due to rain.
Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Overview:
Riley Herbst finished 16th in the rain-shortened Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing started 12th in the 38-car field and proved to be a top-10 contender in the race, finishing 10th in the first stage to pick up a valuable bonus point. Herbst hovered in and around the top-10 for the majority of the second stage until a caution on lap 71 sent him to pit road for a scheduled, four-tire pit stop. But with weather threatening, some teams rolled the dice and opted to stay out, jumbling the running order. When the race returned to green on lap 76, Herbst was mired in a pack of cars. In the remaining green-flag laps before rain inundated the 1.5-mile oval, forcing NASCAR to halt the race and call it official, Herbst clawed his way to 16th.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“I definitely think we were going to end up better than we did end up. Just frustrated with the outcome. But nothing you can really do about the rain. We’ll shake it off and move on to Bristol.”
Notes:
● Herbst clinched a spot in the 12-driver NASCAR Playoffs. This is his third straight playoff appearance. He qualified for the 2020 postseason as an Xfinity Series rookie.
● Noah Gragson was declared the winner of the Kansas Lottery 300 after rain cut the race short of its scheduled 200-lap distance. It was Gragson’s 10th career Xfinity Series victory, his fifth of the season and his first at Kansas.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 18 laps.
● Only 20 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Kansas with a 38-point advantage over second-place Ty Gibbs.
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the regular-season finale on Friday, Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The Food City 300 starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The seven-race playoffs begin the following week with the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
