Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Cabo Wabo 250 Media Availability
Friday, August 16, 2024
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, rolled into Michigan International Speedway as the most recent series race winner at Indianapolis. After a three-week series break, Herbst spoke about the upcoming race weekend at more.
RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — THE LAST TIME WE SAW YOU IT WAS IN THE WINNERS PRESS CONFERENCE IN INDIANAPOLIS. HOW WAS YOUR BREAK? CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT?
“Yeah, it was good. It was fun. We went down to the south of France. So got to experience that country over there, all the beautiful beaches, and all the cool weather, and everything that place has to offer. So that was a lot of fun. Got to participate last week in the Richmond race, which was cool in the Cup car. And now back in the really fast 98 car and excited for Michigan and excited to finish out the year strong and hopefully go chase the championship.”
THIS IS THE SAME RULES PACKAGE YOU HAD FROM INDIANAPOLIS. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE AT MICHIGAN? SIMILARITIES AND WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT BE DIFFERENT ABOUT IT HERE?
“I don’t really know. I’m excited to get on track. Hopefully, if the rain holds away to practice a little bit. I’m excited because, obviously, both the Stewart-Haas Racing cars had speed at Indy, so hopefully we can translate some of that speed into this track. Obviously, I feel like it might get a little bit strung out, might need some drafting help to get up to the guy next to you. I think it’s going to be a little bit like Atlanta as well, where if you take a run that you can’t complete the pass. I think you’re going to go back to the back of the line, which a lot of people experience at Atlanta. So it’s going to be interesting. It could also be nothing like that. It could be like the old Michigan and just single file and if the better car is better, it will pass. I’m very curious, but we’ll see how it is here in about an hour or so.”
IF YOU DO HAVE TO RACE ON A GREEN TRACK IF IT RAINS BETWEEN NOW AND THE START, IS THERE ANY MORE OF A CHALLENGE TO THAT? AND ESPECIALLY THE POSSIBLY EVEN A COMPETITION CAUTION DURING THAT SHORT FIRST STAGE?
“Yeah, I don’t really know why we would talk about the comp caution. I feel like they are going to do one if we don’t practice today, but it’s 30 laps. I think we’ll be okay on that aspect. I think the biggest thing is just going to be the corner speeds and firing off on a green race track with the traction compound I think they applied. So a lot of unknowns, but I don’t think it’s anything that us drivers are very incapable of doing for the first few laps. So I think we’ll be fine there. But yeah, just looking forward to it.”
HOW HAS YOUR TENURE AT SHR PREPARED YOU FOR THE NEXT STEP YOU TAKE IN NASCAR?
“I think it’s done a lot. Obviously, I don’t know what that next step is, so hopefully we can get that figured out here shortly but Stewart-Haas Racing, like I’ve said multiple times to multiple people picked me up when I got pushed out the door so I owe a lot to Greg Zipidelli and obviously Tony Stewart and everybody over there for not only like helping me become who I am as a person but as a race car driver as well. I feel like I’ve just grown so much as everything and I’m at the top of my game where I’ve been so it’s cool to say that. It’s cool to be where I am right now as a race car driver coming off winning out one of the most historic tracks in the world and have all the momentum in the world to take the speed and my team to Phoenix and compete for a championship.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY NURTURED YOU? I MEAN AT A TIME WHEN YOU FINALLY NEEDED THAT BOOST THAT THEY DIDN’T EXPECT?
“Yeah, when I left in 2020 I was a very young green kid who didn’t know much and everybody over there took me under their wing, Kevin Harvick, Zippy, and they kind of nurtured me, you could say, in an aspect, and kind of saw something in me, and developed me, and didn’t really give up on me, especially after the really rough first year. Now we’ve won a couple of times, and now we’re competitive each week. And we have a chance to do the ultimate goal, and that’s to win the championship. I feel like we can accomplish that if we’re at our best.”
ALONG THOSE LINES, I TALKED TO TONY SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN HE SIGNED YOU AND BROUGHT YOU ON. HE WAS VERY COMPLIMENTARY AND SAID THAT YOU HAD, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALENT THERE. WHAT IS THAT PROCESS? HAVE YOU WORKED WITH HIM ALONG THE WAY? AND YOU SAID, KEVIN TOOK YOU UNDER HIS WING. AND OBVIOUSLY, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL FOR A DRIVER LIKE YOU WHO HAD EXPERIENCE BUT THEN CONTINUED ON?
“I mean to be quite frank with you, I never really saw Tony much. So it was more about Kevin and Aric Almirola and even Cole Custer, all those guys helping me. I would talk to Tony a little bit on the phone, but it was more with meetings about Zippy and Kevin and telling me how to grow as a race car driver and how to become a better race car driver. So without them, I don’t think I would be where I am today by any means.”
RILEY, BIG PICTURE, STEWART-HAAS RACING A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, WE WERE WONDERING WHEN YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO WIN RACES AND HERE YOU ARE RIDING A TWO-RACE WIN STREAK INTO THE BREAK. IS IT JUST A CONTINUED EVOLUTION OF HOW THE TEAM HAS PERFORMED? AND THEN WHERE DO YOU NEED TO WORK ON HERE AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE PLAYOFFS AS YOU AND COLE BOTH HONE YOURSELVES INTO PLAYOFF MODE?
“I think the biggest thing is just the hard work that the guys have been doing at the shop when we weren’t winning. Obviously from Cole’s point of view, he’s the defending champion of the series and didn’t really have the best start to the year obviously the points leader by just being consistent. But the speed that we both were showing at the end of the last year wasn’t really there at the beginning of this year, so They just kind of had to go to work and develop the race car better with the rear window slits that kind of threw us for a loop there for the first few weeks. I feel like we’re on top of our game and I wouldn’t be surprised if me or Cole won or even Noah won this weekend because all those cars are pretty similar. So I’d say our weakness right now is probably our road course program. It’s not where we need to be by any means. We obviously have the Glen in a few weeks and the Roval in the first round. Hopefully we can find a little bit more pace there, but I feel like everywhere else we’ll have a shot to win and we can lead laps.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PLAYOFFS AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT YOU CAN BE A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER COME NOVEMBER?
“I think so. I’ve never made it out of the first round so that’s our first goal, but to win the championship you have to qualify and I didn’t qualify last year so we’re locked in now, and we got to make it past the first round which will be a challenge with Kansas, the Roval and Talladega which are three wildcard races and the second round is obviously kind of Stewart-Haas Racing’s bread and butter with Vegas, Homestead and Martinsville. So I feel like if we can get to the second round we’ll have a really good shot to get to Phoenix. The first thing is you have to make it out of the first round.”
