RILEY HERBST
Indianapolis Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
• Event: Indianapolis 150 at the Brickyard (Round 21 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Aug. 14
• Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
• Layout: 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course
• Time/TV/Radio: 4 p.m. EDT on NBCSN/IMS Radio Network/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team are heading to their second consecutive road-course race Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After a 13th-place finish last Saturday on the road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Herbst plans to take what he learned at The Glen and apply it to this enhanced race weekend where Herbst and his Xfinity Series brethren will practice and qualify before competing in the 62-lap race. Saturday’s Indianapolis 150 at the Brickyard marks the series’ sixth road-course race of 2021. Herbst’s best finish on a road course this season is seventh, earned July 3 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

• With six races remaining in the Xfinity Series’ regular season before the NASCAR Playoffs begin Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Herbst is just one spot shy of the top-12 cutoff to make the seven-race playoffs. Herbst enters Indianapolis 13th in the championship standings, 30 points behind 12th-place Michael Annett. A win would give Herbst a playoff berth, but the 22-year-old racer from Las Vegas can also point his way into the top-12 with a string of strong finishes between Indianapolis and the playoff cutoff race Sept. 17 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Herbst has already made up 24 points in the last two races.

• Saturday’s race will mark Herbst’s 64th career Xfinity Series start and his second at Indianapolis. He’s hunting for his first Xfinity Series victory and he’s driving for the team that won last year’s race at Indianapolis. With Chase Briscoe behind the wheel in 2020, the No. 98 team of Stewart-Haas Racing scored the win in dramatic fashion. Briscoe powered past second-place Austin Cindric and leader AJ Allmendinger on the penultimate lap to pull out a 1.717-second margin of victory over runner-up Justin Haley.

• Herbst has made nine road-course starts in the Xfinity Series, scoring two top-10s and four top-15s. His best finish is seventh, earned twice – Aug. 15, 2020 on the road course at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and four races ago at Road America.

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

You made your first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start on a road course last year at Indianapolis. How much have you learned about road-course racing since then?

“I feel like I’ve definitely learned a lot since last year at Indy. Road courses are a different animal and you have to learn over time. Without practice at most of my road-course starts, it’s difficult to learn before the green flag, but I’ve made progress. The No. 98 Monster Energy team has brought a great road-course package this season and we’ve been fast at every race. We just have to minimize the mistakes and stay out of trouble this weekend.”

This is your second road-course race in as many weeks. What did you learn at Watkins Glen last Saturday that you can apply at Indianapolis?

“There’s a lot that we can transfer over to this weekend. We were easily a top-10 car, but had to race our way from the back to the front on the final stage. Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang is fast and I think we showed that by passing so many cars in the final laps of the race. As long as we do what we have to do all weekend, we can run up front on Saturday.

You’re heading into a weekend where you get to practice and qualify before the race on Saturday. How valuable is that additional track time?

“I’m excited to have practice and qualifying at Indy. Not having those sessions has become the norm since the pandemic hit last year, so you really take advantage of them when you have them. There’s a lot you can learn as a driver and as a team. We’ve been fast in a majority of our practices and qualifying sessions this season, so we’re hoping to keep that momentum going.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Fueler: James Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Jackman: Sean Cotten
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Front End Mechanic: Mike Brill
Hometown: Woodsville, New Hampshire

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
RACE: Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard (62 laps / 151.2 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 3:30 p.m. ET on IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet
• Michael Annett hopes to continue a strong season on road
courses this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The
Iowa native has averaged a finish of 9.4 in the five roadcourse races so far this season.
• Annett finished a solid ninth in his first trip to the 2.439-mile
course inside Indianapolis in the series’ debut last season.
• Annett will carry the colors of Allstate Peterbilt Group this weekend for the second time this season in honor of Allstate’s 50th anniversary. Headquartered in Eagan, Minn., Allstate Peterbilt Group has been a longtime supporter of Annett during his racing career.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start on the road course at Indianapolis this weekend in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
• Mayer is coming off a top-10 performance at Watkins Glen with top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts in the NXS.
• The 18-year-old Mayer has competed at road course tracks a combined seven times between the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. His best finish of third (three times) came at COTA earlier this season,
Daytona Road Course (2020) and Watkins Glen (2019).

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson hopes this weekend’s race on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis road course is as good as the last two starts on road courses this season. Gragson was ninth at Road America and seventh last weekend at Watkins Glen.
• In one previous start on the Indy road course, Gragson led JRM drivers with a third-place finish last season.
• In 13 career NXS road-course starts, Gragson has amassed six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and averages a 12.1 finish.
• Gragson has three victories on road courses in NASCAR

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier will make his second start on the road course at Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon. The JRM driver finished seventh in this event last year.
• Allgaier has previously visited Victory Lane at Indianapolis, earning the win in 2018 on the oval course at the hallowed speedway.
• In 37 NXS starts on road courses, the Illinois native has earned three wins, 11 top fives and 23 top 10s.
• In five road course events in 2021, Allgaier has scored a best finish of third, coming at COTA in May.

Driver Quotes

“Our No. 1 Chevrolet has been really good on road courses so far this season, and I’ll be looking for another solid finish this weekend at Indy. We had good speed at Watkins Glen, and Bummy (crew chief Mike Bumgarner) and the guys have been working hard to bring good cars to the track. This is a vital stretch for us regarding the playoffs, and we need a good, solid run. Special thanks to Allstate Peterbilt Group and congratulations on celebrating their 50th anniversary.” – Michael Annett

“We were really fast last year here at Indianapolis on the road course and I feel like we will be just as strong this year, especially now that we have a notebook to build off of and the ability to practice on Friday. Hopefully we can have a smooth day, avoid any potential trouble out there and be right where we need to be when it counts with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. We’ve shown a lot of speed with our road course cars so far this season and I know that we will have that again once we unload this weekend.” – Justin Allgaier

“I am really looking forward to racing at Indianapolis this weekend and seeing what it is all about. The history of Indianapolis should get everyone excited when realizing we get to race there. Having practice and qualifying is going to be huge because I’ve never raced here before and it’ll help me learn the place before sending it off into Turn 1 Saturday afternoon.” – Sam Mayer

“We had a really fast Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro when we raced here last year and I believe we will have that same speed when we unload on Friday. I enjoy not having practice because no one knows what is going to happen, but this week it will be different since we practice and qualify. Regardless, this No. 9 team has been working hard after Watkins Glen to turn around this car for Indy and I can’t thank them enough for what they are doing.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:

• JR Motorsports at Indianapolis Road Course: JR Motorsports has competed on the road course at Indianapolis a combined four times in the NXS. Over the course of these four starts at the 2.439-mile facility, JRM has tallied one top five and three top 10s. JRM’s best finish of third came with Noah Gragson during the inaugural event in 2020.
• Allstate Peterbilt Group 50th Anniversary: Michael Annett’s No. 1 Chevrolet will carry sponsorship this weekend from Allstate Peterbilt Group in honor of its 50th anniversary. Established in 1971, Allstate Peterbilt Group started with just one dealership location in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, and has since grown into an award winning one-stop resource for truckers with over 20 locations across the Upper Midwest serving Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Their secret? Never losing sight of what made these last 50 years possible serving their customers.
• #MoveAgainWithDegree: A recent study from Degree found that more than half of all Americans were less active during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the country opens up again, Degree’s new campaign celebrates a return to movement. How are you celebrating moving again? Tweet Degree your best moves and inspire others to get out there with #MoveAgainWithDegree.
• Bass Pro Shops: It’s time to gear up for archery season. Shop all the top products and deals like TrueTimber camo tees and pants, rangefinders, crossbows, stoves and more now through Aug. 18 at BassProShops.com.

Spartanburg, SC – Jeremy Clements Racing is happy to reveal yet another new sponsor Wings Etc. Grill and Pub out of South Bend, IN; and welcome them into the JCR family. Wings Etc. is set to make their Xfinity Series debut in the Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road course on Saturday August 14th. Additionally, Fox Sports Spartanburg returns as associate sponsor for the tenth time in 2021.

“It’s really great that JCR has been blessed to team up with another new partner Wings Etc. Grill and Pub and Scott McFalls. They have some really great food and the restaurant here close to the shop is always packed!! Plus, they are originally from Indiana, so if you’re coming to the race this weekend, check out one of their locations near the track. I know I will!” Clements, said
Joining Wings Etc. Grill and Pub as associate sponsors will be: Fox Sports Spartanburg, Whitetail Smokeless, Chalew, ELITE Towing & Recovery LLC Circle Body Shop, Mechanix Wear, Wix Filters, Carolina Driveline, Cometic and ZMAX.

RACE PREVIEW
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway RC
Date: Saturday, August 14th, 2021
Broadcast Information – TV: 4:00 pm EST on NBCSN

FAST FACTS:
Best Start 21st – 2020
Best Finish 13th – 2020
2nd career start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway RC

JCR TEAM
Team: No. 51
Crew Chief: Mark Setzer
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engine: Clements Racing Engines

ABOUT WINGS ETC GRILL & PUB
Wings Etc. founded by Jim Weaver, is a family-friendly Grill & Pub, with a diverse menu featuring our Award-Winning Jumbo Wings, Burgers, Wraps, Salads, Cold Beer and More!! We have been voted “Best Wings” in our home market (South Bend) for over two decades in a row! We have TONS of HDTVs tuned to the very best sports programming, and popular daily food and drink specials that make every day a great day to stop by. And don’t forget we have “Size Does Matter” lunch specials 7 days a week.

Visit www.wingsetc.com for more information and a location near you.

Herbst Finishes 13th at Watkins Glen
Monster Energy Driver Scores 10th Top-15 of Season

Date: August 7, 2021
Event: NASCAR Xfinity Series 200 at The Glen (Round 20 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (2.45-mile, seven-turn road course)
Format: 82 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/42 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th / 13th (Running, completed 82 of 82 laps)
Point Standing: 12th (449 points, 400 out of first)
Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)

Overview:

After a roller coaster ride of a race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team brought home a 13th-place finish in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series 200 at The Glen. The 22-year-old Herbst started 10th at the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course and quickly moved his way up to ninth, where he finished Stage 1 to earn two bonus points. After pitting during the stage break for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, Herbst restarted Stage 2 in 16th. He worked his way up to 12th by the lap-33 caution. The team stayed out during the caution to gain track position. The strategy paid off, and Herbst finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn an extra five bonus points. In the final stage, the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang restarted 19th and broke into the top-15 by lap 47. Herbst was running 14th when the caution came out on lap 49. Unfortunately, the team was hit with a speeding penalty while making their fuel-only pit stop, forcing Herbst to restart at the back of the field. Herbst was a man on a mission on the lap-51 restart. The Las Vegas native gained 22 spots and made it all the way up to ninth before another yellow flag flew just 17 laps later. Crew chief Richard Boswell made the call to bring his driver down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel for the team’s final stop of the race. Herbst continued to make up lost ground as the laps wound down. On the final restart of the race on lap 79, a spin in front of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang forced Herbst to fall back in the field to 17th. He made up a majority of those lost spots in the final three laps to finish 13th and score his 10th top-15 of the season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“That just wasn’t the day we had hoped for at Watkins Glen. We had a top-10 car but made a mistake that put us back in the pack in the final stage. It’s so hard to pass here, and we just got stuck. We made up some ground in the playoff standings, but we still have work to do. We’ll take what we learned here and move on to Indy.”

Notes:

● Herbst finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn an additional five bonus points.

● Ty Gibbs won the NASCAR Xfinity Series 200 at The Glen to earn his third career victory, his third of the season and his first at Watkins Glen. His margin over second-place AJ Allmendinger was .948 of a second.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 15 laps.

● Twenty-eight of the 40 drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series 200 at The Glen finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Watkins Glen with an 80-point advantage over second-place AJ Allmendinger.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Indianapolis 150 at the Brickyard on Saturday, Aug. 14, on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The race starts at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Watkins Glen International
Race: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200
Date: August 7, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 1st (Eighth Stage Win of 2021)
Stage 2: 3rd
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 82/82
Laps Led: 22
Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+80)

Notes:

• Austin Cindric and the No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang team grabbed a third-place finish in the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 Saturday afternoon at Watkins Glen International. Cindric collected his 13th top-five finish in 20 races this season along with his eighth stage victory. He has now finished inside the top three in his two most recent starts at the New York road course. The driver of the No. 22 CarShop Ford remains atop of series driver standings, 80 markers ahead of second-place AJ Allmendinger.
• The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rulebook, which gave Cindric the second-place starting position. He took the lead on the opening lap and never looked back, winning Stage 1 for his eighth stage victory of the season. Cindric said the balance on his Mustang was good aside from too much wheel hop in the corners and it needed more turn. Crew chief Brian Wilson made the call for Cindric to pit during the stage caution on lap 22 for four tires, an air pressure adjustment, and fuel. A mix of pit strategies among the leaders shuffled Cindric back to 12th position for the restart on lap 24.
• Over the course of the second 20-lap stage, the Mooresville. N.C. native showed his road-course skills, racing his way through traffic to score a third-place finish when Stage 2 ended on lap 40. This time during the stage caution, Wilson left his driver out on the racetrack and Cindric restarted third when the event went green on lap 43.
• Once the race restarted, Cindric held firm to second-place but shortly thereafter radioed to his team that the No. 22 Mustang was getting tighter during this run. The sixth caution was displayed on lap 50 and allowed Cindric to pit for four tires and another round of adjustments. Once again Cindric restarted back in 12th and once more he climbed his way up the leaderboard, moving up to second by lap 65. Two more yellow flags (on laps 69 and 78) would slow the pace and Wilson kept his driver on the track during both cautions. Cindric took the lead on lap 71 from Ty Gibbs but unfortunately couldn’t stay there. He fell back in line to the third position one lap later, where he would remain at the conclusion of the event.

Quote: “Yeah we just weren’t quite good enough to fire off. I felt like Ty was probably better than me and AJ most of the race. I gave it my all. Took the lead on the restart and wasn’t good enough to hold it. We’ll take it and move on. Solid day for points in the CarShop Ford Mustang. I just wish we would have been able to hold the lead after that restart, but probably not good enough.”

TY GIBBS SHOWS OFF ROAD RACING SKILLS TO WIN AT WATKINS GLEN
Gibbs scores Third Xfinity Series Victory in 10th Series Start

WATKINS GLEN, NY (August 7, 2021) – Ty Gibbs became the youngest winner at the Watkins Glen International road course in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race. The 18-year old battled some of the best road racers to claim his third series win in only his 10th career start in the series behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Watkins Glen International
Race 20 of 33 – 200.900 miles, 82 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, TY GIBBS
2nd, AJ Allmendinger*
3rd, Austin Cindric*
4th, Justin Allgaier*
5th, HARRISON BURTON
6th, BRANDON JONES
17th, KRIS WRIGHT
22nd, DANIEL HEMRIC
28th, STEPHEN LEICHT
38th, MATT MILLS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Why did you choose the inside lane on the final restart?

“I felt like the 22 (Austin Cindric) got a really great restart the restart before and he got a little wide. First of all, I have to say thank you to the man above. That was probably the most fun race I’ve ever been in with AJ (Allmendinger) and with the 7 (Justin Allgaier) and the 22 (Cindric), those guys are very experienced veterans in this racing series. To be able to race and beat them just means a lot. I learned a lot from them too. I just can’t thank Monster Energy, TRD – my Toyota Racing Supra was super fast today and this is just a dream come true.”

How do you keep your composure after you lost the lead on the restart?

“I just feel like being in these situations kind of helps you and getting that experience. Those guys are so relaxed in those situations and I just kind of try to learn from them. This is just wonderful – I can’t even believe it.”

How does it feel to have beaten one of the best road racers of this generation?

“Those two – the 22 (Austin Cindric) and AJ (Allmendinger), the baddest dudes on the road course ever. I don’t really know how I beat them. My guys worked so hard and they do such a good job. What a great race. I’m just at a loss for words right now. This is just awesome.”

What was the move you made to get the win in the closing laps?

“First of all, I just want to say thank you to my crew and all glory to God first of all. That was awesome, to race with two of the best road course racers I feel like or two of the best out there racing road courses. Those are two bad dudes. To beat them means a lot. I couldn’t thank my crew enough along with TRD, Toyota, Monster Energy. It’s awesome, I’m at a loss for words.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race overall?

“Disappointing a little bit because I really wanted to win this race. We fired off ok and lost some spots. We kind of knew we had to be a little out of the box to win, so we tried some stuff and it kind of fell our way, it kind of didn’t. We made it to the end, we just needed some speed, but really proud of my DEX Imaging Supra guys. They worked really, really hard all day to make our car better and better. I felt like I got better throughout the day, and at the end of the day we got a top-five, which is not bad, but it is frustrating to not be winning for sure.”

Top-five today, Harrison. How do you feel like your day went?

“It’s kind of more of the same. I feel like we have been fifth-best road course car on speed all year, and that’s frustrating. We need to be faster than that. Our guys at Joe Gibbs Racing are trying to make my DEX Imaging Supra faster and faster every weekend. I think I’ve got a lot to learn on the road courses. They are kind of my weakest link if you look at stats and things like that. Just got to go to work and try to get a little bit quicker. But we are right there. It’s tiny things in this sport, so we will keep hunting after it and try to go get it in Indy.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Magickwoods Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

Good pit strategy and a good race car. How was your race?

“Yeah, it was going to be really good. If we get green to the end, we probably win the race with the strategy that we had. Only one little mistake today – we spun out on pit road kind of early on in the race, but it didn’t hurt us too bad. We rebounded pretty fast from it. Really, really fast Toyota Supr, Menards, Magickwoods, everyone that came on board for both of these races this weekend. I ran that ARCA race yesterday with Venturini (Motorsports) and really think it helped a bunch kind of leading into race. We did that earlier this year at Mid-Ohio and saw a lot of results with this, so this was a really, really solid race for us. Car looks great, clean. We can build off of this, go back and take some notes. We are getting really, really close on these road courses. I think we are capable of winning them for sure.”

About Toyota

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200
Watkins Glen International | Saturday, August 7, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
3rd — Austin Cindric
13th — Riley Herbst
18th — Ryan Sieg

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang –”We just weren’t quite good enough to fire off. I felt like Ty was probably better than me and AJ most of the race, but I gave it my all and took the lead on the restart and probably wasn’t good enough to hold it. We’ll take it and move on. It was a solid day for points with our Carshop Ford Mustang. Like I said, I just wish we would have been able to hold the lead after that restart, but probably not good enough.”

THE MOVE TY MADE ON YOU IS THAT JUST HARD RACING? “Trying to win a race, so I’m not overly bothered by it. I ran him wide in turn one to take the lead. He ran me wide in turn six to take the lead. It’s hard racing. He deserved to win. He was the fastest car and feel like when he had to save fuel he probably saved a bit in his tires. I was trying to catch up, but maybe I should have played that a little bit different. That’s probably my only minor regret in the race, otherwise probably just weren’t quite good enough.”

ARE YOU SURPRISED HOW WELL TY HAS ADAPTED TO THESE CARS SO QUICKLY? “I’m not gonna put myself and AJ on a pedestal. Obviously, we’ve got experience and I expect to run up front every weekend and I expect the Gibbs cars to run up front every weekend no matter who is driving it. It seems like whoever is in that 54 car is doing a great job. Not to take credit away from Ty, obviously he’s got a lack of experience and he’s done a great job with the track time that he’s had. Like I said, you can’t take anything away from him. He’s in victory lane and that’s what we’re all here to do. He beat all of us.”

WAS YOUR MOVE IN TURN ONE A RACING MOVE IN THE SENSE IT’S A FEW LAPS TO GO OR HIS CAR IS A LITTLE STRONGER AND YOU HAD TO MAKE YOUR MOVE THERE? “I felt like the three of us were really equally matched. We could run in a train together, but it’s hard to pass here, so knowing my opportunity is on a restart you’ve got to take advantage of that. He gave me the bottom, which I felt like I had shown the outside was the best place to be, but you’re a fender away from the outside not being the best place to be and I lost a race this year putting myself on the outside. Luckily for Ty, there’s ample runoff through here and he’s got another shot. I don’t know. It’s just hard racing. I took my shot.”

THE 54 HAS WON THIS RACE EIGHT TIMES IN THE LAST 10 STARTS HERE. IS IT GETTING FRUSTRATING THAT IT’S THE SAME CAR, BUT WITH THREE DIFFERENT DRIVERS? “For a while it’s like, ‘They’re taking points away from other guys.’ Now it’s like, ‘All right, they’re a serious threat for owners points and taking playoff points.’ I feel like without Ty today I probably could have stayed in front of AJ, so, I don’t know. It’s another car on the racetrack and you’ve got to beat all of them. They’re doing a great job.”

INDY NEXT WEEK. HOW BIG IS THAT RACE TO YOU AND TEAM PENSKE? “It’s incredibly important anytime you go to Indy. Obviously, I’ve got a pretty strong connection to Indy racing for Roger. Even before he owned the place it was pretty significant going there, so I’m excited for the weekend. A very busy weekend for me and just looking forward to having two fast Ford Mustangs and getting into both races and having a shot.”

Lauzon Aviation, Larry’s Lemonade, Jabs Construction and GreenTech Energy Join as Associate Partners

Track: Watkins Glen International | 2.45 Mile Road Course
Race: 20 of 33
Event: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200
Race: Saturday, August 7 | 4:00 p.m. ET | CNBC & MRN
Stages: 20 / 40 / 82 = 200.9 Miles

Brandon Brown | Watkins Glen International | Xfinity Stats
Starts: 1
Best Start: 27
Best Finish: 18
Brown on Watkins Glen:

“It’s exciting to get back to racing after a few weeks off for the Olympic break; especially at Watkins Glen since we weren’t able to race there last year due to COVID.

“This weekend, we have a few different partners on board our No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro, beginning with ArmorGuard Coatings who will be joining the team for their first NASCAR Xfinity Series race as the primary partner of our car.

“ArmorGuard specializes in residential and commercial floor coatings for home, garage and shop floors and is a natural fit for race shops. I feel like they fit our NASCAR market so well as most NASCAR fans are auto enthusiasts that have garage space. They actually did one of my father’s floors, which turned out great.

“Lauzon Aviation will be taking over the decklid position for their first NASCAR race as well. They’re a commercial air service and tourist establishment located in Northern Ontario, Canada, and decided to come on board as the Canadian border is set to reopen on August 9th, which makes it the perfect time for Americans to take advantage of the great fishing and hunting that Ontario has to offer. It’s a really cool partnership and hopefully they can fly us to a win this weekend.

“On the lower quarter panels, we have Larry’s Hard Lemonade coming back on board. What started out as a race partnership has really turned into a great friendship and I’m very thankful for all of their support. They’re a veteran-owned company and one thing that I love about working with them is that when you see their car, you know it’s their car; they have great paint schemes that really catch your eye.

“Jabs Construction will be filling the TV panel for us this weekend. Tim and the entire Jabs family have been longtime family friends and Jabs Construction has been a great partner of our program since the beginning. They’ve really invested in our team this year and I think a lot of BMS (Brandonbilt Motorsports) fans have taken notice as this weekend will be their 3rd time on the car this season in either a primary or associate level position, which I’m extremely grateful for.

“Closing out the list of partners for this weekend is GreenTech Energy, who will be riding along on the C-Post of our No. 68. Working with companies like GreenTech (Energy) makes you feel good, knowing that you’re offsetting some of your carbon footprint, which is really their biggest goal. Also, by going solar, you’re not only saving money, but earning it as well. GreenTech Energy’s solar panels store energy, which you can then sell back to your local power company if it is not being used.

“It’s really special to have so much partner support this weekend and I’m ready to give them a strong run on Saturday.”

To learn more about ArmorGuard Coatings, visit www.armorguardcoating.com.
To learn more about Lauzon Aviation, visit www.lauzonaviation.com.
To learn more about Larry’s Hard Lemonade, visit www.thelarryslemonade.com.
To learn more about Jabs Construction, visit www.jabsinc.com.
To learn more about GreenTech Energy, visit www.greentechenergy.net.

About Brandonbilt Motorsports
Brandonbilt Motorsports is a family-owned, professional stock car team competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). Owned and operated by Woodbridge, Virginia native, Jerry Brown, Brandonbilt Motorsports has quickly become a household name in the NASCAR Xfinity Series through hard work and determination. As a smaller team in the NXS, Brandonbilt Motorsports’ goal has always been to do the most with less, while also becoming a contending organization in every race that it enters. Brandonbilt Motorsports shocked the racing world in 2020 as driver, Brandon Brown, secured the team’s first playoff berth in only its second, full-time season in the NXS, before going on to finish the year 11th in the overall points standings. To learn more, visit bmsraceteam.com.

RILEY HERBST
Watkins Glen NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance
No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

• Event: NASCAR Xfinity Series 200 at The Glen (Round 20 of 33)
• Date: Saturday, Aug. 7
• Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
• Layout: 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course
• Time/TV/Radio: 4 p.m. EDT on CNBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Riley Herbst Notes of Interest

• After two weeks off, Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team are back in action this Saturday for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The series returns to the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course for the first time since August 2019 after the COVID-19 pandemic put the track’s 2020 event on hold. Herbst, who was a rookie in 2020, will make his first Xfinity Series start at the track on Saturday, but it won’t be his first start at The Glen. Herbst competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race in 2019, finishing 12th.

• With only seven races remaining until the seven-race Xfinity Series playoffs begin, Herbst is on a mission to close the points gap and lock in his spot among the top-12 drivers in points. Herbst is currently just outside the playoff cutoff spot in 13th, 32 points behind 12th-place Michael Annett, but the Monster Energy driver made up 22 points in the series’ last race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where Herbst finished 10th.

• Saturday’s race will mark Herbst’s 63rd Xfinity Series start. Herbst is hunting for his first Xfinity Series win and the road course at The Glen might just be the place he can get it. Consider, seven of the past eight winners at Watkins Glen have been Ford drivers. In addition, the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang from Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has never finished outside the top-10 at the track. Herbst finished seventh in his last road-course race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

• SHR has made six Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen and only finished outside the top-10 once. In 2019, Chase Briscoe drove the No. 98 Ford Mustang to a sixth-place finish. Aric Almirola also drove the No. 98 Ford Mustang to a fifth-place finish in 2018. In 2017, Kevin Harvick scored a sixth-place finish. Cole Custer owns the other three starts, with his best result being a sixth-place drive in 2018 behind the wheel of SHR’s No. 00 Ford Mustang.

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

You have eight career road-course starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but none at Watkins Glen. However, you do have one NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start at the track. What are your expectations heading into Saturday’s race?

“Watkins Glen is a tough track. With the pandemic, I wasn’t able to get a start there in my rookie season, but I do have that one K&N Pro Series start from 2019. I’m excited to go back and get my No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang onto a road course. We have a great road-course package and finished seventh at Road America. Hopefully, we’ll be up front and racing for a win at the end of the day.”

You’ve had two weeks off from racing. What did you do with the downtime?

“It was a nice break to take a step back and regroup before these final races of the regular season. It was a mix of work and fun. I was still doing media interviews and working with the guys, but I also was able to go back home to Vegas to spend some time with my family before the season really got crazy again. These breaks are definitely a great chance to relax before it’s non-stop racing until November.”

With only seven races to go in the regular season, you’re sitting 13th in the points standings and chopping away at the points gap for the final playoff spot. What are your goals for the last seven races before the playoffs begin in your hometown of Las Vegas?

“We’re working hard to get above the cutline in the point standings. This season has had a lot of ups and downs, but hopefully we’re finding our momentum as we head into these final races. We deserve to be in the playoffs at Vegas. The No. 98 team has worked hard to get better all season and we’re seeing improvements each and every race. A win would be the perfect solution to the points problem, but we’re not out of it, yet. We just need to keep the speed up, collect points and stay out of trouble for the final few races of the regular season so we can claim our spot.”

No. 98 Monster Energy Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Engineer: Justin Bolton
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Engineer: DJ VanderLey
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Fueler: James Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Jackman: Sean Cotten
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Road Crew Members:

Truck Driver: Steve Wood
Hometown: Eatontown, New Jersey

Front End Mechanic: Mike Brill
Hometown: Woodsville, New Hampshire

Engine Tuner: Willie Pelotte
Hometown: Oakland, Maine