Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Riley Herbst shares update after taking hard hit on final lap at Martinsville

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated 4/7/24

At the end of the Dude Wipes 250 at Martinsville, Riley Herbst took a hard hit backwards into the outside wall. The NASCAR driver was released from the care center after the race. He detailed the final restart from his perspective.

Riley Herbst worked his way up through the field. But multiple issues kept him from earning any stage points. Finally, Herbst was able to get into the top-10 by the end of the race. That overtime restart did not go his way, though.

Herbst found himself behind Sheldon Creed, trying to shoot the middle of a three-wide situation. It didn’t work out, he might have had help, but Herbst went spinning and into the wall.

After coming out of the care center, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was doing alright.

“Yeah all hits here are hard but no it’s fine. … I haven’t seen a replay. Just chaos,” Herbst told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “They were three-wide in the middle, I was trying to plug middle behind Sheldon and I thought I got in just maybe a little too deep and started wheel hopping in the back. Just hard racing… it sucks.

“Poor qualifying effort, so had to start last. No points first stage then we had a pit road penalty second stage so no points there and then 25th place finish doesn’t help. I feel like we have top-five speed for sure. I don’t know, go to Texas, try to go win there.”

Riley Herbst is okay after bringing out the final caution to end the race Saturday night at Martinsville.@bobpockrass | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/PQHesfalK0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 7, 2024

This season has not gone the way Riley Herbst had hoped. Last season he won his first race in the Xfinity Series at his home track in Las Vegas. He then had a strong stretch of races to close out the season.

This year, he has a top-10 from Daytona and a top-5 at Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he also has two DNF finishes. Good thing for him, he has managed to stay in a solid points position. He comes out sixth overall after tonight’s race in Martinsville.

Aric Almirola won the Dude Wipes 250. His experience was too much to overcome for these young Xfinity drivers. He may be out of full-time Cup Series racing, but he still has a lot to give on the race track. Almirola is very talented and he is going to give these drivers a challenge every time he’s on the track.

Riley Herbst should feel good about going to Texas. He does well on these intermediate tracks. In 2022 he had a P8 and P5 finish at Texas. Last season he was P37 in the lone Texas race for the Xfinity Series.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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