Keselowski calls out Herbst for 'dumb' move on final lap of Daytona 500

NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski. Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Brad Keselowski calls out Riley Herbst for 'dumb' move on final lap of Daytona 500

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 6:32 PM ET

Riley Herbst didn't win Sunday's Daytona 500, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

The second-year NASCAR Cup Series driver gave his 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick the push he needed to get by Chase Elliott and win the race before trying to get up in front of Brad Keselowski and get a push for himself.

Unfortunately for Herbst, he ended up wrecking himself and everyone behind him.

Brad Keselowski doesn't approve of Riley Herbst move

Keselowski was not pleased with Herbst's attempted block.

Brad Keselowski on Riley Herbst coming across his nose at the finish:

"It was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen." pic.twitter.com/0rzktWlS6L
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 15, 2026

"The 35 just wrecked me out of nowhere for no reason," Keselowski said, per Kelly Crandall. "It was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. He had no chance of blocking my run. I don't know if I could've gotten the 45 or the 47, but I'd have liked to have found out, because my run was coming fast. The 35 just wrecked me and himself, pretty stupid."

Ironically, Keselowski finished fifth and bested Herbst's eighth-place result. But the former is still yet to win the Daytona 500 and will be 43 years old when the 2027 running is held on Feb. 21, 2027.

Still, it was an impressive drive for Keselowski, who broke his femur in December and was using a cane all week, at Daytona on Sunday afternoon.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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