Riley Herbst wasn’t part of the four-driver battle for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, but that didn’t stop him from putting on an absolute clinic at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday.
Herbst, driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang Dark Horse from the soon-to-close Stewart-Haas Racing, led a race-high 167 of 213 laps on the way to his third victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
RESULTS: 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix
It’s the 26th and final win for Stewart-Haas Racing in the second-tier series, and a sentimental one at that – coming during the team’s final weekend.
The Las Vegas, Nevada native, despite being the class of the field all evening, had to survive a few late-race restarts – and one where Herbst, Jesse Love, and Justin Allgaier made significant contact into Turn 1.
“I knew we were going to have a fast race car. These guys have been working on this Phoenix car as if we were in the playoffs. I knew we were going to be really fast. It has been a really tough week this past week at the shop and a lot of really emotional people. This place has been home for a lot of people for a long time, including myself and it has built me into who I am the last four years.”
Herbst was able to nurse his race car back around the one-mile facility in Avondale, Arizona, despite a major tire rub on the left-rear tire, to make a final-lap pass on Justin Allgaier, securing the victory.
With a second-place finish, Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Fresh Agriculture Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports, was crowned the 2024 champion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Through a 15-year career and several close calls, it’s Allgaier’s first title in the second-tier series.
The journey to becoming a NASCAR Xfinity Series champion was a tough one as well, after a practice crash, a backup car, a restart violation, a speeding penalty, a slow pit stop, and several rounds of on-track combat, all eventually led to this long-awaited title.
Aric Almirola rebounded from the same practice incident as Justin Allgaier on Friday to finish third place, coming up one spot short of bringing the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing an Owner’s Championship.
Making just his fourth Xfinity Series start, Connor Zilisch brought home another top-five finish, his third of the season, while Chandler Smith completed the top-five in the running order at the finish.
Jesse Love held the race lead in the closing stages of the event but faded to sixth on the final NASCAR Overtime restart. Sheldon Creed was just behind him in eighth, capping off his time with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Rounding out the top-10 were the three unsuccessful Championship 4 drivers, with Cole Custer eighth, AJ Allmendinger ninth, and Austin Hill rounding out the top-10.
With the conclusion of Saturday’s event at Phoenix Raceway, the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign has ended. Outside of the Championship 4, Chandler Smith was the ‘best of the rest’ finishing fifth in points.
Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, and Parker Kligerman earned top 10 points finishes.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to action on Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway. Coverage of the event will be on The CW.
