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

1. Justin Allgaier
2. Cole Custer
3. Austin Hill
4. Chandler Smith
5. Shane van Gisbergen
6. Jesse Love
7. Sam Mayer
8. Riley Herbst
9. Sheldon Creed
10. AJ Allmendinger
11. Sammy Smith
12. Parker Kligerman
13. Ryan Sieg
14. Brandon Jones
15. Anthony Alfredo
16. Brennan Poole
17. Josh Williams
18. Leland Honeyman
19. Parker Retzlaff
20. Jeremy Clements
21. Jeb Burton
22. Ryan Ellis
23. Kyle Weatherman
24. Kyle Sieg
25. Ryan Truex
26. Matt DiBenedetto
27. Blaine Perkins
28. Aric Almirola
29. Carson Kvapil
30. Josh Bilicki
31. Hailie Deegan
32. Garrett Smithley
33. Austin Green
34. Patrick Emerling
35. Joey Gase
36. David Starr
37. Joe Graf Jr
38. BJ McLeod
39. Jordan Anderson
40. Ed Jones
41. JJ Yeley
42. Connor Zilisch
43. Nick Leitz
44. Logan Bearden
45. Sage Karam
46. Caesar Bacarella
47. Alex Labbe
48. Dale Earnhardt Jr
49. Brad Perez
50. Bubba Pollard
51. Natalie Decker
52. CJ McLaughlin
53. Chad Finchum
54. Justin Bonsignore
55. Patrick Gallagher
56. Conor Daly
57. Greg Van Alst
58. Thomas Annunziata
59. RC Enerson
60. Myatt Snider
61. Preston Pardus
62. Dexter Bean
63. Nathan Byrd
64. Daniil Kvyat
65. Andre Castro
66. Glen Reen
67. Boris Said
68. Carson Ware
69. Mike Skeen
70. Armani Williams
71. Morgen Baird
72. Timothy Viens
73. Ryan Vargas
74. Gus Dean
75. Alon Day