DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Riley Herbst believed he was making a transfer to win the Daytona 500. Brad Keselowski thought the transfer was overzealous.
Coming to the checkered flag in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Herbst’s No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota jolted to his proper and in entrance of Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, hoping to get a push to propel him from third to glory within the “Nice American Race.” However Keselowski’s momentum was too robust and Herbst’s transfer too late, triggering a multicar pileup as Tyler Reddick scurried to his first Daytona 500 triumph.
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The ultimate lap was stuffed with chaos as NASCAR’s finest grew to become NASCAR’s frenzied, first triggered by a crash in Flip 1 on the white-flag lap, which allowed a choose few, resembling Reddick, Herbst and Keselowski, to race for the win. Chase Elliott leaped to the lead with assist from Zane Smith, however 23XI Racing teammates Reddick and Herbst lined up in third and fourth to pounce by means of Turns 3 and 4.
Coming to the checkered flag, Reddick carved to Elliott’s left. Herbst was left with a choice and opted for the highest lane to take Keselowski’s momentum. As a substitute, there was contact and carnage throughout the beginning/end line.
“We bought all unfold out extensive down the again straightaway, and clearly I selected to go together with the 45 (Reddick),” Herbst advised . “I pushed him, and he made that transfer on the 9 (Elliott) to go side-by-side, and I don’t know really what occurred. I went to pop three-wide to make it a photograph end high of three at first/end line, and it should have been a matter of inches.”
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Shut margins or not, Keselowski was not impressed by the sophomore’s selection.
“Oh, the 35 (Herbst) simply wrecked me out of nowhere for no cause,” Keselowski mentioned. “That was one of many dumbest issues I’ve ever seen. He had no probability of blocking my run. I had an enormous run. I don’t know if I might have gotten the 45 or 47 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), however I’d have favored to seek out out as a result of my run was quick. And the 35 simply wrecked us and himself. Fairly silly.”
Brad Keselowski and Riley Herbst amongst these concerned in a last-lap crash in 2026 Daytona 500.
Herbst was adamant his transfer was made in an try to win the Daytona 500: “I wasn’t making an attempt to make a transfer to go to second.”
Keselowski, nonetheless, was satisfied Herbst was doomed lengthy earlier than the block was made.
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“I assumed, nicely, a one-lane block type of is smart,” mentioned Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Sequence champion. “However to dam from the very backside all the way in which to the highest and wreck your self and all people else is simply silly. Very, very silly.”
Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing and driver of its No. 6 Ford, has been chasing the Daytona 500 since 2010. He stays winless in now 17 tries regardless of a number of shut calls with the Harley J. Earl Trophy. Herbst made his fourth begin within the “Nice American Race” on Sunday. Each completed inside the highest 10 regardless of crashing — Keselowski fifth; Herbst a career-best eighth. However what might have been Sunday night time?
“It’s fractions of a second, and we’re making an attempt to win the Daytona 500,” Herbst mentioned. “Brad’s been making an attempt to win for (17 years). He’ll inform you that it’s a matter of inches, and we had been on the improper aspect of inches.”
