Days After Announcing SHR Return, Riley Herbst Claims Vegas Seize in Unprecedented First Career Dominance

There is no place like home. Stewart-Haas Racing‘s rising sensation, Riley Herbst, finally found himself a taste of victory in the Xfinity Series, and what better place to do it than on his home track? The #98 Ford driver enjoyed a dominant evening as he crossed the finish line almost 15 seconds before the second-placed driver.

The win also kicks off the Round of 8 in the second-tier competition in style. Only days after SHR announced their plan to renew Herbst’s contract, the 24-year-old repaid the team’s trust in style, bagging his first-ever win in Xfinity at Las Vegas on Saturday. With possible Cup Series moves out of the question, Riley Herbst focuses on delivering a great season in the #98.

Riley Herbst ends his 154-race streak in the Xfinity Series

Riley Herbst and his family have run a convenience store chain since the 1930s. However, that hasn’t stopped the lineage from producing racing fanatics in every generation. The driver of the No. 98 Ford is essentially a third-generation driver, with most of his previous generation having etched its name in the Southern Nevada Hall of Fame. He has continued to strive in NASCAR since his debut in 2018. The win at Las Vegas ends Riley’s streak of 154 races in the country’s three national racing competitions.

After the race, the 24-year-old couldn’t hide his emotions as he swept past championship contender John Hunter Nemechek by quite a margin. Speaking to AP News after the race, Riley Herbst said, “Oh my goodness, you don’t even know what this means, what this takes off my chest. I can’t believe it. I love you, Las Vegas.”

In an unprecedented moment, Riley Herbst made an excellent move off of his teammate’s pass in stage 2 to grab the lead. This started his dominance in the race as he arrived at the final stage, ready to defend the lead with everything he had, which the 24-year-old eventually did and took the trophy home.

Cole Custer made the evening better for Tony Stewart and co. as he finished third to help his team claim two positions on the podium. Despite the celebrations, the win will not amount to many points since Riley Herbst has failed to make the playoffs this year. However, as this is his first national career win and hopefully the first of many, this win will always be special for the youngster.

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Riley returns to Tony Stewart and Co. in 2024

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When looking through statistics-tinted glasses, Herbst has undergone a regression since 2022. With six top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes, he has an average finishing position of 16.6 in 2023. Having said that, Riley Herbst has also proved his talents in the top-flight competition this season.

Front Row Motorsports decided to avail Riley Herbst’s services for the playoff race at Talladega. The move fared pretty well for the #36 team, as the performance garnered applause from other drivers as well. The event brought a fourth Cup start for him, having represented Rick Ware Racing earlier this season in the Daytona 500.

All of these positives played a major role in SHR wanting him to return to the #98 Ford in 2024. The former Joe Gibbs Racing driver will don the black and green of Monster Energy yet again in his fifth Xfinity season. With 67 top-10s and 23 top-5s so far in Xfinity, until the big move for a Cup ride arrives, his experience is pretty valuable to have around in a team.

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Although missing out on a playoff spot has hurt their motives massively this season, the positives from 2023 have outweighed the negatives.