Daring pass on final lap sends Riley Herbst to victory lane in Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Riley Herbst saw an opening Saturday and made it pay off with a trip to victory lane at the Brickyard.

The 25-year-old NASCAR Xfinity Series driver chased down Aric Almirola on on the final lap, then got close enough to tap Almirola’s car with his front bumper in the final turn, dart to the inside for the lead and hold onto his sliding car to win his first race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Herbst gave Stewart-Haas Racing its second straight victory, finishing ahead of teammate Cole Custer by 0.167 seconds. Almirola wound up third.

“This is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, everyone in the world wants to race here and win here,” Herbst said, explaining he barely held onto the car when it started to go sideways. “I don’t care if it’s the Xfinity Series or the go-kart series. This is Indianapolis.”

Herbst’s only other career win came on his home track, Las Vegas, in October. and just one week after his teammate, Custer captured his first win of the season at Pocono.

The back-to-back wins give SHR, a team that’s closing its doors after the season, some momentum heading into the final six regular-season races.

Herbst also won the first Xfinity race held on Indy’s historic 2.5-mile oval since 2018, doing it in thrilling fashion.

Each of the top three finishers held the lead during the final three laps and Custer came within a whisker of capping a perfect weekend with his second straight trip to victory lane when he passed Almirola on the inside of the front straightaway. Earlier Saturday, Custer was named the Haas Factory Team’s Cup driver for 2025.

“I just needed one less lap, you know,” Custer said. “I felt like it was kind of a disadvantage to lead, in my opinion, all day. If you were in second, it actually got your car looser and it would save your tires. But what an awesome day for SHR.”

The results kept Custer atop the series standings while Herbst locked up a playoff spot. Custer led the most laps, 47, while Herbst led 30 in a race marred by seven caution periods and a big crash on Lap 2.

Herbst also won the first stage and finished third in the second stage.

Almirola, meanwhile, led five laps but couldn’t hang on when it mattered most.

“Maybe just not carry as much speed at Turn 3,” he said when asked if he’d have done anything different.

That miscue was all Herbst needed to get past Almirola for a milestone win.

“It’s fun, it’s fun,” Herbst said. “I’m going to go drink a beer and turn my phone on. This is iconic.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing