Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Overview:
Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team fought hard for a 12th-place finish in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The day started on a high note as Herbst earned his first career Xfinity Series pole position during qualifying Saturday morning. When the green flag waved for the 200-lap race, the Las Vegas native continued to show speed and led the first seven laps. A tight-handling racecar made his efforts to stay in the top-10 more difficult, however, and the No. 98 Monster Energy team was assessed a pit penalty at the end of Stage 2. But Herbst and the team showed their perseverance during the final stage as the 22-year-old worked his way back into the top-20 by lap 106 and into the top-10 just 20 laps later. The final blow to his hopes for a top-10 came on a lap-186 restart. Herbst was eighth when debris from a multicar accident ahead of him cut down the right-front tire of his Ford Mustang. He was forced to pit road for tires and was 17th for the race’s final restart on lap 193. Herbst picked up five positions over the final seven laps, just two positions short of his fourth top-10 of the season.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“That (cut tire) was probably the difference at the end for a good finish. We just somehow got the right-front cut down but, overall, it was a pretty big learning day. We led some laps, qualified on the pole, but just struggled in traffic and fought the balance. I’d like to think this weekend was a step forward. I wish we could’ve been more competitive at the stage ends and things like that, but I think we’re making steps in the right direction.”
Notes:
● Herbst led once for seven laps – his first laps led at Charlotte.
● Ty Gibbs won the 40th Alsco Uniforms 300 to earn his second victory in six career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts. His margin over second-place Austin Cindric was .437 of a second.
● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 51 laps.
● Twenty of the 36 drivers in the Alsco Uniforms 300 finished on the lead lap.
● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Charlotte with an 84-point advantage over second-place Harrison Burton.
Next Up:
The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, June 5 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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