Riley Herbst may have earned Cup Series deal with winning pass at Indianapolis

If there was ever a play in sports that defined the next chapter of an athlete's career, it would be Riley Herbst's race-winning pass on Aric Almirola to secure the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 25-year-old driver passed Almirola on the race's final lap, making the winning move just two corners before he would fly under the checkered flag for his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

With talk circulating around the garage area that Herbst is being considered to pilot a third Cup Series car for 23XI Racing, Saturday's race-winning pass might not have just been big for Herbst's season, but his NASCAR career as a whole.

Has Herbst shown enough in the Xfinity Series to truly be considered a Cup-level talent? Maybe not. But if he can bring the same aggression and talent he showed on Saturday along with the massive check he will provide regardless, 23XI Racing would presumably be happy to have him.

One race shouldn't completely change the narrative for a driver who's mostly been underwhelming during his time in the Xfinity Series, but Saturday's race proved Herbst is capable of going toe-to-toe with the best of the best — and can also beat them in the process.

Herbst didn't just beat a bunch of rich kids on Saturday, either. The challengers that crossed the line behind him included:

Aric Almirola (three-time Cup Series winner)

Cole Custer (defending Xfinity Series champion and current points leader)

AJ Allmendinger (three-time Cup Series winner)

Shane van Gisbergen (Cup Series winner and 2024 Xfinity Series wins leader)

Herbst also showed an invaluable trait during the waning moments of Saturday's race: The ability to not buckle under pressure. Faced with multiple late-race restarts, Herbst stayed in a position to win. When Herbst was passed for the lead on the final lap, rather than falter, he came back strong to make the winning pass himself.

If there was ever a day where Herbst drove like a Cup Series veteran, it was Saturday.

Racing at the most famous track in the world, in one of the biggest races on the calendar, Herbst may have just signed the biggest contract of his life without even having to put pen to paper.

Have yourself a day, kid.