Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Charlotte Roval NXS Advance

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

•  NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Riley Herbst has endured back-to-back heartbreaks to start the NASCAR Playoffs. In the opening race Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Herbst was collected in an accident after only 30 laps. Then in the second playoff race last Saturday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Herbst was caught up in another accident six laps short of the finish. Making that Talladega outcome even more painful was that Herbst led four times for a race-high 26 laps. The 33rd-place finish at Las Vegas and the 27th-place result at Talladega have left Herbst 32 points below to the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 8. All is not lost, however. The Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Saturday at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval provides one last chance for Herbst secure his place in the coveted Round of 8.

•  Herbst is a native of Las Vegas, and despite being on the opposite side of the country this Saturday at Charlotte, the “Just Win, Baby” mantra of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders will be with Herbst as he wheels his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang around the 17-turn, 2.28-mile road course. The 22-year-old racer is in a must-win situation to advance to the Round of 8. In addition to being 32 points outside of the top-eight cutoff, he has two other drivers ahead of him who are also vying to make the Round of 8. Jeb Burton is eight points out of the top-eight and Myatt Snider is 24 points down. Harrison Burton is on the bubble in the eighth and final spot, and the target on his back could not be larger as Herbst, Snider and Jeb Burton look to burst his bubble.

• The Drive for the Cure 250 will mark Herbst’s 72nd career Xfinity Series start and his second on the Roval. After starting 13th in a wet race there last year, Herbst led seven laps before finishing 12th.

• The No. 98 team already owns one win on the Roval, and it was the inaugural Xfinity Series race on the Roval. Chase Briscoe scored the win in 2018 to earn his first career Xfinity Series victory. He led twice for 33 laps and beat second-place Justin Marks by 1.478 seconds.                  

Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

You were on your way to erasing a good portion of your points deficit last weekend at Talladega, but an unfortunate, late-race accident took you out of the race. Talk about that race and what you need to do this weekend at the Roval.

“We have to win. Plain and simple. You’re not guaranteed that the guys in front of you arere going to mess up, so you have to go into this final race with your eyes on the prize. Vegas and Talladega were both heartbreaks. At Vegas, you never want to wreck out at your home track, but especially when you have such a great racecar. Then, at Talladega, we were up front and leading laps. We had a shot to win that race and ultimately ended up in an unavoidable accident. It’s like a punch to the gut. We know what we have to do, though. It’s not over until it’s over.”

The No. 98 Monster Energy team has had some success on road courses this year and in the past. What would it mean to get your first win on the Roval at Charlotte?

“Your first win is special no matter what track, but to get it at Charlotte and lock in our spot to the Round of 8 would be awesome. The No. 98 Monster Energy team has worked hard this year, so our goal is to win one before season’s end. This team has been strong on the Roval in the past, and I’ve had some success in leading laps and running up front, so hopefully we can put it all together and end up in victory lane on Saturday.”

What are your goals for this weekend and the rest of the season?

“Our goal is to obviously continue to advance in the NASCAR Playoffs, but also we just want to keep growing as a team. We’ve come so far this season and I’m excited that we’re going to continue this journey next year. I want to get a win before the end of the year but, no matter what, I’m proud of this team and all we’ve been able to overcome and accomplish.”

TSC PR