Riley Herbst has lashed out at Austin Hill after a dramatic Kansas Speedway crash jeopardized his playoff aspirations. During the event, Austin Hill in the No. 21 car caused Herbst to spin into the grass on the front stretch, ruining what had been a promising race for Herbst. Admitting his fault, Hill acknowledged the mistake and planned to apologize through his team.
However, Herbst’s reaction was unequivocal:
“I run him down from a straightaway back, pass him cleanly and what does he do? He wrecks me.” His team was equally open, labeling Hill a “hack.”
The crash occurred with 65 laps remaining, when Herbst was holding P10. Meanwhile, his teammate Cole Custer was gunning for consecutive wins, battling against Chandler Smith from Joe Gibbs Racing. Hill had been running in the top-5 prior to this mistake.
Herbst entered the Kansas race with a precarious three-point buffer above the playoff cutline. With no top-10 finishes in the previous four races – his last being a P4 at Daytona – Kansas was critical for Herbst’s Round of 8 aspirations, especially with the unpredictable Talladega race upcoming. Despite the setback, Herbst showed his strength, continuing to compete in the race and striving for a top-5 finish. The final green flag pit stops and last 50 laps were predicted to be critical in determining not only the Kansas winner but also the playoff standings.
Austin Hill’s aggressive driving has been noted before, and this incident shows a repeated pattern. However, Hill’s admission of a “mental mistake” offered a level of accountability. Nonetheless, the damage to Herbst’s playoff hopes is palpable.
Herbst’s direct reaction highlighted his frustration. “Yeah, he’s a hack.” Herbst’s disappointment was evident, reflecting on the potential solid finish that had been within reach prior to the crash.
The outcome of Kansas remains critical for Herbst’s playoff journey. The final laps will determine if he can mitigate the damage and secure sufficient points to maintain his standing.
2024 Xfinity Driver Standings As Of Writing
- Justin Allgaier
- Cole Custer
- Austin Hill
- Chandler Smith
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Jesse Love
- Sam Mayer
- Riley Herbst
- Sheldon Creed
- AJ Allmendinger
- Sammy Smith
- Parker Kligerman
- Ryan Sieg
- Brandon Jones
- Anthony Alfredo
- Brennan Poole
- Josh Williams
- Leland Honeyman
- Parker Retzlaff
- Jeremy Clements
- Jeb Burton
- Ryan Ellis
- Kyle Weatherman
- Kyle Sieg
- Ryan Truex
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Blaine Perkins
- Aric Almirola
- Carson Kvapil
- Josh Bilicki
- Hailie Deegan
- Garrett Smithley
- Austin Green
- Patrick Emerling
- Joey Gase
- David Starr
- Joe Graf Jr
- BJ McLeod
- Jordan Anderson
- Ed Jones
- JJ Yeley
- Connor Zilisch
- Nick Leitz
- Logan Bearden
- Sage Karam
- Caesar Bacarella
- Alex Labbe
- Dale Earnhardt Jr
- Brad Perez
- Bubba Pollard
- Natalie Decker
- CJ McLaughlin
- Chad Finchum
- Justin Bonsignore
- Patrick Gallagher
- Conor Daly
- Greg Van Alst
- Thomas Annunziata
- RC Enerson
- Myatt Snider
- Preston Pardus
- Dexter Bean
- Nathan Byrd
- Daniil Kvyat
- Andre Castro
- Glen Reen
- Boris Said
- Carson Ware
- Mike Skeen
- Armani Williams
- Morgen Baird
- Timothy Viens
- Ryan Vargas
- Gus Dean
- Alon Day