NASCAR’s Talladega Xfinity Series race was quite the race, with drivers finishing splits of a second after Sammy Smith. Riley Herbst, Ryan Sieg, and Smith were all fighting for the win; however, the No. 8 JR Motorsports driver had the advantage on the track around the last lap. With Stewart Haas Racing splitting after this season, Riley Herbst is hungry for his second win of the season. So when Sammy Smith clinched the win at Talladega, it was obvious that Herbst would be unhappy.

After the race, Riley Herbst was interviewed about how the race went down for him as the reporter asked him, “I know you’re disappointed. If you could rewrite those last few laps, what do they look like?”

Herbst, who believes a Joe Gibbs Racing driver handed the win to Smith on a silver platter, said, “I don’t know. I knew that the 81 was in a really, really good position because he had his teammate behind him, and I knew Sheldon was committed to Chandler.”

Herbst further explained where things took a turn for him when he explained, “I was kind of frustrated when he took that run. I was expecting him to take that run in three and four, but he took it in one and two. All that did was kill his run, my run, and Sheldon’s run, and just let the 8 get away. So, I just let him know that was a little bit frustrating, like we didn’t have a fighting chance, any of the three of us right there.”

According to Riley Herbst, the race that kept fans at the edge of their seats was decided when Chandler Smith made a move too early, costing all the front runners and leaving room for Sammy Smith to take the lead. Although he did not win the race, Herbst seemed happy with his position as he compared the race to last weekend’s Kansas race, where he came 10th. He then thanked his No. 98 team for all the effort they put into the car, as he stated, “The Monster Energy car had a lot of pace today, and I’m proud of everybody at Stewart Haas Racing.”

Stewart Haas Racing has been giving in everything they can to make sure their last season as a team is a fruitful one. As of now, Riley Herbst is in the safe zone of the playoffs; however, at this stage, one wrong move during a race could change where he stands and might even have him eliminated. Along with Herbst, his teammate Cole Custer is in the safe zone too, as he stands 5th to the No. 98 cars 7th in the standings. Before the playoffs started, Riley Herbst mentioned that he was not confident, but his performance on track says otherwise.

Why Riley Herbst was not confident about the playoffs?

Riley Herbst isn’t feeling too confident about his 2025 NASCAR plans, and he’s not shy about admitting it. As the Xfinity Series kicks off its seven-race post-season at Kansas Speedway, the 25-year-old driver is still without any official word on his future. Speaking at Tuesday’s Playoff Media Day, Herbst acknowledged that the uncertainty is a bit of a distraction. Despite the rumors that he’s poised to join 23XI Racing as a third Cup Series driver alongside Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, Herbst isn’t counting on anything just yet.

Herbst’s body language and words during the media session painted a picture of a driver who’s trying to stay focused on the task at hand—leading the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing team through the playoffs. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a slight distraction,” Herbst admitted, before adding that he’s not overly confident about next year. While his potential leap to the Cup Series is a hot topic, the uncertainty surrounding NASCAR’s charter system and 23XI Racing’s involvement adds to the mix of unknowns. As he sees it, the future will hopefully sort itself out, but his main priority right now is making it through Kansas above the cutline.

Behind the scenes, Herbst has been weighing his options for 2025. While an offer from the Haas Factory Team to stay in the Xfinity Series was on the table, the team has since filled its seats. Herbst is relying on guidance from Kevin Harvick and the team at KHI Management as he considers what’s best for both his career and Monster Energy, his longtime sponsor. With several paths still in play, Herbst is determined to close out his Stewart-Haas Racing chapter with a strong playoff run and maybe even a championship.

Do you think that Riley Herbst has what it takes to win the Xfinity Series title this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.