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Jim Utter

Riley Herbst scores emotional first Xfinity win at Vegas

Herbst used a last lap pass of Cole Custer to take the lead for the first time to win Stage 2 then completely dominated the final stage.

He built a solid lead then expanded it through the final round of green flag pit stops before cruising to a 14.959-second win over John Hunter Nemechek for his first career win in 139 starts.

Race winner Riley Herbst, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang (Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images)

The 24-year-old Las Vegas native and driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 98 Ford had finished second three previous times, most recently earlier this season at Nashville. The win was a bit of redemption for Herbst, who failed to qualify for the playoffs this season.

“Oh, my goodness. I love this town, I love this team,” an emotional Herbst said after the win. “Everybody said I couldn’t do it. You don’t even know what this means – what this takes off my chest. I can’t believe it.

“I’ve been working on my working on myself and what I could control. I knew all I could do was all I could do and if there was a caution then there was a caution, and we were going to race them straight-up.

“This year was such a failure to me not to make the playoffs. It was so embarrassing to be in a car like this that doesn’t make the playoffs and walk in the garage in the garage with your head down.”

Custer finished third, Chandler Smith fourth and Sam Mayer rounded out the top five.

Completing the top-10 were Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric and Layne Riggs.

With two races remaining in the semifinal round of the playoffs, the four drivers lowest in points without a win and in danger of elimination are Sheldon Creed, Sammy Smith, Mayer and Chandler Smith, who is 15 points behind the cutline.

Race winner Riley Herbst, Stewart-Haas Racing, Monster Energy Ford Mustang (Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images)

Stage 1

Custer passed Chandler Smith with 10 of 45 laps remaining and held on by 0.392 seconds to take the Stage 1 win. Sammy Smith was third, Hemric fourth and Hill fifth. Nemechek, who started from the rear of the field, made his way to sixth.

Stage 2

Herbst ran down Custer and passed him on the final of the 45 laps to earn the Stage 2 win, just his second career stage victory. Nemechek was third, Allgaier fourth and Hemric fifth.

The engine on Kaz Grala’s No. 26 blew on the start of Stage 2 which dropped fluid all over the track and ignited a multi-car wreck that collected Anthony Alfredo, Rajah Caruth and Kyle Weatherman. The race was red flagged for nearly nine minutes to clean the track of debris.

Stage 3

During the break between Stages 2 and 3, the lead-lap cars all pit with Herbst first of pit road. He was followed by Custer and Nemechek.

With 75 laps remaining, Herbst had built an almost 4-second lead over Custer with Nemechek in third, almost six seconds behind the leader.

Hemric and Creed were among the first of the lead-lap cars to hit pit road for a final round of green flag pits for new tires and fuel to make it to the finish.

Once the cycle of stops was completed, Herbst cycled back to the lead with 56 laps to go.

Several laps later, playoff driver Sammy Smith was forced to pit a second time for a loose wheel – the second time that had happened to him in this race.

With 30 laps remaining, Herbst had built a commanding lead over more than 11 seconds over Nemechek as Chandler Smith ran third.

Race winner Riley Herbst, Stewart-Haas Racing, Monster Energy Ford Mustang (Photo by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images)
Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Pits Points
1 United StatesR. HERBSTStewart-Haas Racing 98 Ford 201 2:18'32.411   5  
2 United StatesJ. NEMECHEKJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 201 +14.959 14.959 6  
3 United StatesC. CUSTERStewart-Haas Racing 00 Ford 201 +19.493 4.534 6  
4
C. SMITHKaulig Racing
16 Chevrolet 201 +20.840 1.347 6  
5
S. MAYERJR Motorsports
1 Chevrolet 201 +28.560 7.720 6  
6 United StatesJ. ALLGAIERJR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 201 +29.046 0.486 6  
7 United StatesA. HILLRichard Childress Racing 21 Chevrolet 201 +29.235 0.189 7  
8 United StatesB. JONESJR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 201 +29.489 0.254 6  
9 United StatesD. HEMRICKaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 201 +31.032 1.543 6  
10
L. RIGGSKaulig Racing
11 Chevrolet 201 +32.716 1.684 6  
11 United StatesM. SNIDERJoe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 200 +1 Lap 1 Lap 6  
12 J. BERRYJR Motorsports 8 Chevrolet 200 +1 Lap 10.315 6  
13 United StatesP. KLIGERMANBig Machine Racing Team 48 Chevrolet 200 +1 Lap 2.884 7  
14
P. RETZLAFFJordan Anderson Racing
31 Chevrolet 200 +1 Lap 4.450 6  
15 United StatesS. CREEDRichard Childress Racing 2 Chevrolet 200 +1 Lap 5.530 6  
16 United StatesR. SIEGRSS Racing 39 Ford 199 +2 Laps 1 Lap 7  
17 18 Toyota 199 +2 Laps 0.302 8  
18
K. SIEGRSS Racing
29 Ford 199 +2 Laps 13.275 6  
19
C. MOSACKSam Hunt Racing
24 Toyota 199 +2 Laps 6.192 6  
20 United StatesR. REEDMotorsports Business Management 66 Chevrolet 198 +3 Laps 1 Lap 6  
21
D. DYEAlpha Prime Racing
44 Chevrolet 198 +3 Laps 7.138 7  
22 United StatesJ. BURTONJordan Anderson Racing 27 Chevrolet 197 +4 Laps 1 Lap 8  
23
R. CARUTHAlpha Prime Racing
45 Chevrolet 197 +4 Laps 13.629 9  
24 United StatesB. MOFFITTAM Racing 25 Ford 197 +4 Laps 2.629 10  
25 United StatesB. POOLEJD Motorsports 6 Chevrolet 197 +4 Laps 6.965 10  
26 08 Chevrolet 197 +4 Laps 5.175 9  
27 United StatesR. ELLISAlpha Prime Racing 43 Ford 197 +4 Laps 0.008 6  
28
B. PERKINSOur Motorsports
02 Chevrolet 195 +6 Laps 2 Laps 6  
29
C. MCLAUGHLINRSS Racing
28 Ford 194 +7 Laps 1 Lap 6  
30 United StatesJ. CLEMENTSJeremy Clements Racing 51 Chevrolet 193 +8 Laps 1 Lap 9  
31
D. CRAMCHK Racing
74 Chevrolet 193 +8 Laps 15.917 8  
32 United StatesJ. GASEEmerling Gase Motorsports 35 Toyota 193 +8 Laps 2.370 8  
33 United StatesJ. WILLIAMSDGM Racing 92 Chevrolet 56 +145 Laps 137 Laps 6  
34
A. ALFREDOBJ McLeod Motorsports
78 Chevrolet 54 +147 Laps 2 Laps 4  
35 United StatesK. GRALASam Hunt Racing 26 Toyota 53 +148 Laps 1 Lap 3  
36 United StatesK. WEATHERMANDGM Racing 91 Chevrolet 53 +148 Laps 0.448 4  
37
J. JR.RSS Racing
38 Ford 12 +189 Laps 41 Laps 3  
38
E. PATRICKEmerling Gase Motorsports
53 Chevrolet 3 +198 Laps 9 Laps 2
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