Herbst Dominates Vegas for First Career Xfinity Series Win

LAS VEGAS, NV – It was a fitting venue, a perfect scenario for Riley Herbst to earn his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race – a dominating 14.9-second victory in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Herbst’s No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford led 103 of the 201 laps of the playoff race, leaving no room for error in this career-making day for the 24-year-old Las Vegas native. It was the most significant margin of victory in the series this season and nearly seven seconds better than the previous best margin of victory for an Xfinity Series race at this track – 8.4 seconds set back in 2002.

More than 60 of Herbst’s close friends and family members were trackside for this standout showing, and Herbst was understandably emotional as he climbed out of his Ford – earning his first trophy in his 139th series start.

“Oh my goodness, I love this town and I love this team,” Herbst said, effusively thanking the people – family, team owners and corporate sponsors – who had stuck by him as he made his way up the ranks.

“Oh my goodness, you don’t know what this means, what this takes off my chest. I can’t believe it. I love you, Las Vegas. Let’s go.”

“I’ve been working on myself and everything I can control and all I can do is all I can do,” he added. “If there was a caution, there was a caution and we would race them straight up.”

But he didn’t need to – leading the last 57 laps of the race and extending his lead with each circuit around the 1.5-mile Vegas high banks. Although he did not qualify for the 2023 playoffs, he led six of those championship challengers across the finish line.

Championship points leader Joe Gibbs Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek finished a distant runner-up to Herbst, followed by Herbst’s SHR teammate Cole Custer. Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith and JR Motorsports Sam Mayer rounded out the Top-5. Mayer’s teammate Justin Allgaier was sixth, followed by Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill rounding out that top-finishing playoff group.

JR Motorsports Brandon Jones, Kaulig teammates Daniel Hemric and Layne Riggs completed the Top 10. It was an especially impressive day for the 21-year-old Riggs, who was starting his second career Xfinity Series.

Only two of the eight playoff drivers finished outside the top 10. RCR’s Sheldon Creed was 15th and JGR’s Sammy Smith was 17th, rallying from mid-race pit road issues.

“I’m really disappointed,” Allgaier said. “A great points day and the guys did a great job. We got behind at the beginning, and hard to get it back. … Proud of the effort all day. Hats off to Riley. That was a demonstration right there.”

The runner-up showing was Nemechek’s fifth Top-3 finish in the last six races. The series-leading seven-time race winner now holds a 47-point lead atop the playoff standings with two races – at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, Va. – remaining to set the Championship 4 field for the Nov. 4 season finale in Phoenix.

“Congrats to Riley, I know he’s been trying to win one of these things for a long time,” Nemechek said, adding, “We got stage points. .. solid points day just have to keep on with it.”

The sixth-place finishing Allgaier is second to Nemechek in the playoff standings, up 21 points on the cutoff line. Hill is ranked third, 19 points up, and Custer’s third-place effort (and stage win) was enough to move him into the Top-4. He holds a 15-point advantage over Chandler Smith for that final position.

Mayer is 16 points back, followed by Sammy Smith (-35) and Creed (-41).

The series moves to the 1.5-mile oval at Homestead-Miami Speedway for next Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Herbst as the race winner.
Race Results – Alsco Uniforms 302

1 8 98 Riley Herbst Monster Energy Ford 201 10 1 51 Running 3 103 6
2 38 20 John Hunter Nemechek (P) Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota 201 6 3 48 Running  
3 2 00 Cole Custer (P) Haas Automation Ford 201 1 2 53 Running 3 62 1
4 4 16 Chandler Smith # (P) Barger Precast/Quick Tie Products Inc Chevrolet 201 2 6 47 Running 2 23
5 14 1 Sam Mayer (P) Accelerate Pros Talent Chevrolet 201  8 35 Running  
6 7 7 Justin Allgaier (P) BRANDT Chevrolet 201 7 4 42 Running  
7 10 21 Austin Hill (P) Bennett Transportation Chevrolet 201 5  36 Running  
8 13 9 Brandon Jones Menards/Jeld-Wen Windows Chevrolet 201 8 10 33 Running  
9 6 10 Daniel Hemric (P) Cirkul Chevrolet 201 4 5 41 Running 1 1
10 9 11 Layne Riggs Infinity Communications Group Chevrolet 201   27 Running  
11 19 19 Myatt Snider Tree Top Toyota 200   26 Running  
12 1 8 Josh Berry LubeZone Chevrolet 200  7 29 Running 2 11
13 11 48 Parker Kligerman Spiked Light Coolers Chevrolet 200 9  26 Running  
14 5 31 Parker Retzlaff # FUNKAWAY Chevrolet 200   23 Running  
15 15 2 Sheldon Creed (P) Whelen Chevrolet 200   22 Running  
16 17 39 Ryan Sieg Sci Aps Ford 199   21 Running  
17 3 18 Sammy Smith # (P) Pilot Flying J Toyota 199 3 9 30 Running  
18 24 29 Kyle Sieg HEC Ford 199   19 Running 1 1
19 28 24 Connor Mosack Comprehensive Cancer Centers Toyota 199   18 Running  
20 25 66 Ryan Reed Tandem Diabetes Care Chevrolet 198   17 Running  
21 23 44 Daniel Dye(i) Champion Container Chevrolet 198   0 Running  
22 18 27 Jeb Burton Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet 197   15 Running  
23 35 45 Rajah Caruth(i) Circle Pay Chevrolet 197   0 Running  
24 27 25 Brett Moffitt Lane Frost Brand Ford 197   13 Running  
25 34 6 Brennan Poole Macc Door Systems Chevrolet 197   12 Running  
26 29 08 Stefan Parsons Sokal Chevrolet 197   11 Running  
27 32 43 Ryan Ellis Eclipse Claims Consulting Ford 197   10 Running  
28 31 02 Blaine Perkins # To The Point Chevrolet 195   9 Running  
29 37 28 CJ McLaughlin Sci Aps Ford 194   8 Running  
30 16 51 Jeremy Clements First Pacific Funding Chevrolet 193   7 Running  
31 21 74 Dawson Cram Chevrolet 193   6 Running  
32 36 35 Joey Gase Nevada Donor Network Toyota 193   5 Running  
33 26 92 Josh Williams Parking Guidance Systems Chevrolet 56   4 Accident  
34 20 78 Anthony Alfredo BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 54   3 Accident  
35 22 26 Kaz Grala Ruedebusch Toyota 53   2 Accident  
36 12 91 Kyle Weatherman PORAC Chevrolet 53   1 Accident  
37 30 38 Joe Graf Jr. G-Coin Ford 12   1 Accident  
38 33 53 Patrick Emerling The Meredith Haga Foundation Chevrolet 3   1 Accident  

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 18 Mins, 31 Secs. Average Speed: 130.598 MPH Margin of Victory: 14.959 Seconds

Stage 1 Top 10: 00, 16, 18, 10, 21, 20, 7, 9, 48, 98
Stage 2 Top 10: 98, 00, 20, 7, 10, 16, 8, 1, 18, 9

Failed to Qualify: (2) 4 Garrett Smithley, 07 Gray Gaulding.

Caution Flags: 5 for 26 laps; Laps: 5-10 (Fluid on the Frontstretch from #53 [None]); 14-18 (#38 and 25 Incident on the Frontstretch [None]); 47-52 (Stage 1 Conclusion [43]); 55-58 (26, 45, 51, 78, 91 and 92 Incident in Turn 1 [Red Flag: 8:34] [25]); 92-96 (Stage 2 Conclusion [43]).

Lead Changes: 11 among 6 drivers; J. Berry 1-10; C. Smith # (P) 11-17; J. Berry 18; C. Smith # (P) 19-34; C. Custer (P) 35-51; D. Hemric (P) 52; C. Custer (P) 53-89; R. Herbst 90-96; C. Custer (P) 97-104; R. Herbst 105-143; K. Sieg 144; R. Herbst 145-201.

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service