INDIANAPOLIS — Riley Herbst got past Aric Almirola and took the lead on the final lap to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
It is Herbst’s second career win and first this season.
FURTHER: Indianapolis Results
FURTHER: Xfinity Driver Points
“This is hallowed ground,” Herbst told NBC Sports’ Kim Coon after the win. “This is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Every single person in the world wants to race here, and I won here. I don’t care if it’s the Xfinity Series, the Cup Series or the go-kart track out back. This is the Brickyard. This is the coolest racetrack in the world.”
Herbst’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer also got past Aric Almirola on the final lap and finished second. That gave SHR its first Xfinity Series double.
Almirola finished third. Shane van Gisbergen finished fourth. Sheldon Creed completed the top five.
The race featured three different leaders in the final three laps of the 100-lap race.
Custer led lap 98. Almirola took the lead at the white flag. Herbst led the final lap.
Herbst went low into Turn 3 and worked his way under Almirola, forcing him up. Herbst completed the move into Turn 4.
“He’s going for the win in Indianapolis,” Almirola said. “I don’t think I would have done anything differently.”
The race also started with a bang, as 12 cars were dragged into a crash at Turn 3 on the opening lap. It began with contact between AJ Allmendinger and Sam Mayer.
The accident eliminated Mayer and Josh Berry.
Mayer blamed Allmendinger for the incident. When he watched a replay of the incident and saw the contact with Allmendinger, Mayer told NBC Sports’ Kim Coon: “That’s stupid… Frustrating. Obviously, it’s a really horrible way to go through bye weeks like that. It’s a bummer to watch.”
Stage 1 winner: Riley Herbs
Stage 2 winner: Ryan Sieg
Who had a good career: Cole Custer’s runner-up finish is his series-high 16th top-10 of the season. … Sheldon Creed placed fifth, earning his ninth top-five of the season, tying him with Custer for series-best honors. … Austin Hill finished sixth for his fourth consecutive top-10. … Daniel Dye was seventh, earning his second top-10 in eight series starts.
Who had a bad race: Sam Mayer was eliminated in a first-lap crash and finished last in the 38-car field. … Josh Berry, who had never run a lap on the Indianapolis oval, was in the Xfinity race to gain experience and was hit in the first-lap crash.
Next: The series is suspended until Aug. 17 at Michigan International Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network).
