Riley Herbst triggered a major crash at the finish line of the 68th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, dramatically impacting the race‘s outcome. This incident occurred during the final lap on the 2.5-mile high-banked oval in Daytona Beach, Florida, where Herbst attempted a risky move that went awry.
Herbst helped his 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, secure the lead from Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott by making a strong push out of turn four on the 200th lap. As Herbst tried to slide to the outside lane to pass Elliott, he moved into the path of RFK Racing‘s Brad Keselowski, who was already holding that lane, setting off a chain reaction.
Brad Keselowski Criticizes Herbst’s Move After Crash
Keselowski, competing despite a broken right femur sustained on a ski trip in December, expressed strong frustration with Herbst’s maneuver, calling it reckless and unnecessary. He spoke openly about the aftermath of the wreck shortly after the race on Fox.
“Right here at the end, I had this huge run, and the No. 35 wrecked us,”
Keselowski said.
“Really disappointing. Tore up the No. 9. Tore up the No. 22, a bunch of cars that didn’t deserve to be wrecked. So that was a big bummer and really stupid.”
– Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver
Brad Keselowski on Riley Herbst coming across his nose at the finish:
“It was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen.”
– Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver
Race Impact and Driver Positions Following the Crash
Fox Sports lead announcer Mike Joy noted that Tyler Reddick was nearly alone in finishing the race with an intact vehicle among the leaders.
“Other than Tyler Reddick, I don’t think anybody in that top seven came across the start/finish line pointed in the direction they wanted to be going.”
– Mike Joy, Fox Sports announcer
The crash reshuffled the finishing order significantly. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Hyak Motorsports finished second, while Team Penske’s Joey Logano claimed third place. Chase Elliott ended up fourth but crossed the line facing backward, followed by Keselowski in fifth. Zane Smith from Front Row Motorsports was sixth, ahead of RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in seventh. Herbst managed to finish eighth despite the wreck.
Upcoming NASCAR Events and Broadcast Information
The next race on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is another high-speed superspeedway event, the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway, held next Sunday afternoon. Fans can watch the race live on Fox starting at 3:00 p.m. ET.
This incident involving Riley Herbst will likely be a major topic of discussion as NASCAR moves forward in the season, with the wreck’s consequences potentially influencing team strategies and driver aggression in upcoming superspeedway races.
Brad Keselowski on Riley Herbst coming across his nose at the finish:
"It was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen." pic.twitter.com/0rzktWlS6L
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 15, 2026
