{"id":47458,"date":"2024-07-20T18:41:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T23:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=47458"},"modified":"2024-07-25T12:57:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T17:57:32","slug":"riley-herbst-grabs-xfinity-series-win-at-indianapolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/20\/riley-herbst-grabs-xfinity-series-win-at-indianapolis\/","title":{"rendered":"Riley Herbst grabs Xfinity Series win at Indianapolis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

SPEEDWAY, Ind. \u2013 In one of the most dramatic NASCAR Xfinity Series finishes in recent memory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing\u2019s Riley Herbst took the lead in the final corner of the final lap to claim his first victory of the season in Saturday\u2019s Pennzoil 250 – formally punching his ticket to the 2024 Playoffs.<\/p>\n

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Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, and AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Celsius Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Three different drivers led the final three laps in the series\u2019 return to the famous speedway\u2019s 2.5-mile oval after four years of competing on the track\u2019s road course. Ultimately, the 25-year-old Herbst drove his No. 98 SHR Ford sideways exiting Turn 4 to negotiate his way past veteran Aric Almirola and race off to a .167-second win over his SHR teammate Cole Custer and Almirola.<\/p>\n

Custer led Lap 98. Almirola led Lap 99. And Herbst held the lead for the most important, Lap 100. The three were three-wide on the white flag lap, signaling one lap to-go with Almirola taking the white flag out front. Herbst caught him and dove low to claim the lead coming out of Turn 4 on the next lap and Custer raced past Almirola in the closing feet to give SHR a 1-2 finish.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Indianapolis, this is the most famous race track in the world and it\u2019s an honor just to walk into the place, let alone win,” said Herbst, whose only other series win was in at his hometown Las Vegas track last year. \u201cWe\u2019ve had speed all year and I felt like we could win. I just messed up on restarts a little bit but just continued to work and continued to work.<\/p>\n

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Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, kisses the brick after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of these guys. Proud of Stewart-Haas Racing. Obviously, with the news of us (the current Stewart-Haas Racing team) shutting down these guys could have given up on me and Cole but they stuck behind me and Cole and it\u2019s back-to-back wins for Stewart-Haas Racing.”<\/p>\n

The teammates combined to lead 77 of the 100 laps with Custer\u2019s 47 laps out front most in the field. Custer, Saturday\u2019s polesitter was smiling when he climbed out of his No. 00 SHR Ford and was the first to congratulate Herbst.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat an awesome day for SHR, two cars up front all day, qualified one-two and finished one-two, so an unbelievable day for SHR,” said Custer, who started his day with a big announcement that he would be driving for the new single-car Haas Factory Team in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.<\/p>\n

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AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Celsius Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The defending series champion \u2013 who claimed his first win of 2024 last week at Pocono, Pa. – continues to lead the points standings and with his second place showing now has a 56-point advantage over JR Motorsports\u2019 Justin Allgaier, who finished ninth Saturday.<\/p>\n

The former fulltime NASCAR Cup Series driver Almirola, 40, making his first start in the Xfinity Series since May 11, finished third in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver was also among the first to congratulate Herbst on the hard-fought victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey (Herbst and Custer) were the class of the field but I knew if they got racing there was going to be an opportunity to steal it and I got the lead and thought and just got too tight in [turn] three and he got back inside me,” Almirola said, adding, \u201cThose guys deserve it. I know all the guys on the team. They\u2019re a great group of guys and proud and happy for those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Aric Almirola, driver of the #20 He Gets Us Toyota, Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, and Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Haas Automation Ford, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Rookie Shane Van Gisbergen, the former Australian SuperCars champion, finished a strong fourth-place, making his way forward after opting for fresh tires on a final pit stop and turning in an inspired final restart with 10 laps remaining. A three-time road course winner this season, that fourth place was his best finish on an oval since a third place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough and I\u2019m obviously still learning and I\u2019m probably still a bit too conservative but I feel like the car got better and I got better,” Van Gisbergen said.  \u201cThis Xfinity Series is so fun, the way the cars move around and the way they\u2019re all sliding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a blast.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cole Custer, driver of the #00 Haas Automation Ford, Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, and Aric Almirola, driver of the #20 He Gets Us Toyota, during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Sheldon Creed finished fifth. Richard Childress Racing\u2019s Austin Hill, who started from the rear of the field after some last minute adjustments on his Chevrolet, rallied to a sixth-place finish.<\/p>\n

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Daniel Dye was seventh, followed by two-time Indy winner A.J. Allmendinger, Allgaier and 21-year-old Carson Kvapil, who was making his sixth start of the year driving for JR Motorsports.<\/p>\n

It was perhaps a fittingly dramatic ending to a race that got off to a tumultuous start with a 12-car accident taking multiple cars out of contention early. JR Motorsports Sam Mayer, a two-time race winner this year, spun out after making a three-wide move in Turn 3 collecting multiple cars and damaging more as they tried to avoid.<\/p>\n

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Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 WeatherTech Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Fulltime NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry, who was driving the No. 15 AM Racing Ford was among those collected in the melee and was officially scored last. He and Mayer were unable to complete one lap.<\/p>\n

Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Chandler Smith retired on Lap 37, his No. 81 Toyota never able to overcome the damage from the first lap incident.<\/p>\n

RSS Racing\u2019s Ryan Sieg holds a slim three-point edge over JR Motorsports\u2019 Sammy Smith for the final points Playoff transfer position with six races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field.<\/p>\n

The sport of NASCAR will be taking a two-week sporting break during the Olympics with the Xfinity Series returning to competition Aug. 17 at Michigan International Speedway for the Cabo Wabo 250 (USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). John Hunter Nemechek won the 2023 race.<\/p>\n

Interview:<\/h3>\n

Riley Herbst (No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) – NXS Winner Press Conference –<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Pennzoil 250 Presented by Advance Auto Parts<\/b><\/p>\n

Indianapolis Motor Speedway<\/b><\/p>\n

Speedway, Indiana<\/b><\/p>\n

Saturday, July 20, 2024<\/b><\/p>\n

                1. (2)  Riley Herbst, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                2. (1)  Cole Custer, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                3. (3)  Aric Almirola, Toyota, 100.<\/p>\n

                4. (23)  Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                5. (12)  Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 100.<\/p>\n

                6. (14)  Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                7. (22)  Daniel Dye(i), Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                8. (8)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                9. (9)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                10. (7)  Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                11. (27)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                12. (38)  Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                13. (15)  Jesse Love #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                14. (16)  Conor Daly, Toyota, 100.<\/p>\n

                15. (6)  Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                16. (29)  Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                17. (17)  Joe Graf Jr, Toyota, 100.<\/p>\n

                18. (21)  Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                19. (11)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                20. (25)  Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                21. (30)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                22. (31)  Kyle Sieg, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                23. (34)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                24. (35)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                25. (28)  Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                26. (36)  David Starr, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                27. (32)  Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                28. (33)  BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 100.<\/p>\n

                29. (24)  Blaine Perkins, Ford, 100.<\/p>\n

                30. (18)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 99.<\/p>\n

                31. (26)  Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 97.<\/p>\n

                32. (37)  Greg Van Alst, Chevrolet, Ignition, 91.<\/p>\n

                33. (13)  Chandler Smith, Toyota, 86.<\/p>\n

                34. (5)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 83.<\/p>\n

                35. (20)  Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 83.<\/p>\n

                36. (19)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Accident, 83.<\/p>\n

                37. (4)  Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, Accident, 0.<\/p>\n

                38. (10)  Josh Berry(i), Ford, Accident, 0.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  101.26 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 28 Mins, 8 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.167 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  7 for 29 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  12 among 6 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   C. Custer 1-17;R. Herbst 18-31;B. Jones 32-41;C. Custer 42-57;R. Sieg 58-61;A. Almirola 62-65;R. Herbst 66-71;A. Allmendinger 72-75;C. Custer 76-80;R. Herbst 81-89;C. Custer 90-98;A. Almirola 99;R. Herbst 100.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Cole Custer 4 times for 47 laps; Riley Herbst 4 times for 30 laps; Brandon Jones 1 time for 10 laps; Aric Almirola 2 times for 5 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 4 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 4 laps.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 98,16,39,9,7,00,48,20,88,38<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 39,20,98,16,7,00,97,21,42,18<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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