Herbst’s Solid Las Vegas Race Weekend Derailed by Stage-Two Accident

Making just his third career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, and his first on a mile-and-a-half track, Riley Herbst put together a solid start to the weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – his hometown track. The 19-year-old driver posted the 10th fastest time in Friday’s opening practice at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, before recording the fastest lap in the final session.
 
He continued to show that the Advance Auto Parts Tundra possessed the speed to have a solid run when he qualified fifth for the 134-lap race. Once the event began, the talented youngster fell back to the middle of the pack as he was poised to log laps and learn the aerodynamics of racing on an intermediate track in the Truck Series.
 
After finishing Stage One in the 17th spot, Herbst was running 15th with six laps to go in Stage Two when his truck pushed off the exit of Turn 4 and brushed the outside wall. He was able to continue on, but a tire rub developed quickly and moments later he blew a tire and once again hit the wall, this time pancaking the right side of his Tundra. He was unable to continue in the race and ended a promising weekend with a 29th-place finish.
 
Stage One Recap:
 
  • Herbst started from the fifth position but as the field went four-wide into Turn 1 aired on the side of caution costing him four spots by the time he crossed the line to complete lap 1.
  • Getting a feel for the aerodynamics of racing in the Truck Series on a mile-and-a-half track for the first time, Herbst logged laps and would cross the stripe at the completion of Stage One in 17th.
 
Stage Two Recap:
 
  • Herbst communicated to his team that his Advance Auto Parts Tundra was good by itself, but unstable in traffic.
  • When pit road opened, crew chief Cody Glick summoned his young driver to pit road for four fresh right-side tires with an air pressure adjustment and a full tank of fuel.
  • The Las Vegas native returned to the track scored in the 17th position when Stage Two went green on lap 37.
  • He had a strong restart allowing him to advance up to to the 14th position by the time the third caution of the race occurred on lap 46. After the restart on lap 49, he fell back to the 15th position, where he was running when he brushed the wall. The contact led to a blown tire and ended his day prematurely.
 
World of Westgate 200 Recap:
 
  • Grant Enfinger collected his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory of 2018 and automatically advances to the Round of 6. Johnny Sauter finished 0.142 seconds behind Enfinger in the runner-up spot. Justin Haley finished third while Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton rounded out the top-five finishers.
  • The race featured 11 cautions for a total of 47 laps. There were 21 lead changes among nine drivers.
 
KBM PR