Riley Herbst Evaluated and Released After Talladega Wreck

NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 28, 2026

Herbst crash aftermath

23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst was evaluated and released from the infield care center after a hard crash in the closing laps of the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The wreck came on Lap 183 with five laps remaining, when Herbst got caught in a multicar pileup and took heavy damage on both ends of the car. His No. 35 Toyota hit the outside wall first, then struck the inside wall as the incident unfolded around him. The crash quickly turned into a tense scene for his team, which kept checking on him over the radio while Herbst sat in the car and did not answer. Medical help was called when he failed to respond, and personnel helped him climb out of the vehicle. He later left with his left wrist wrapped. Herbst’s own words after the wreck were short and direct. He said he was “okay” after the hit, and that was the first encouraging sign for a driver who had just been through one of the roughest moments of the race.

Talladega wreck aftermath

The scene around Herbst’s car showed how severe the pileup became. Joey Logano was also involved, and his No. 22 Ford flipped onto its roof. Herbst was later seen in the garage area with his left wrist and forearm heavily wrapped and supported, and he also had a soft cast on his left hand. Herbst thanked 23XI Racing and Toyota for their support after the incident. NASCAR said Herbst’s Toyota will be taken to its Research and Development Center for further inspection. The aftermath left both the driver and the car under close attention.

Herbst status update

Herbst’s condition after the wreck appears to be the main question heading into the next stretch of the Cup Series schedule. Denny Hamlin said Herbst was dealing with bumps, bruises and a sore wrist after the crash, and that he would be checked out further during the week. That report fits with what was seen after the race, with Herbst’s left wrist wrapped when he came out of the care center and his left wrist and forearm heavily supported later in the garage. The update does not close the book on his health, and it also does not lock in what comes next on track. Herbst’s status for the next Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway had not been confirmed, leaving his availability in question after the Talladega wreck. That uncertainty matters because Herbst had already suffered a concussion earlier in the season at New Hampshire. For now, the available facts point to a driver who was released from the care center and still had more evaluation ahead of him.