Brad Keselowski pulled no punches when talking about the move Riley Herbst made at the conclusion of Sunday’s Daytona 500, NASCAR‘s most prestigious race. The driver of the #6 posted a fifth-place finish, but did so in a shower of sparks and debris.
As the field stormed to the finish line, Keselowski was occupying the outside line in the fourth position. To his inside was Riley Herbst’s #35 23XI Racing Toyota, which crossed into the path of Keselowski coming to the finish line, causing a multi-car crash.
The move ultimately cost Keselowski the fourth spot as he came across the finish line fifth. After the race, the 2012 Cup Series champion sounded off on what he thought of Herbst’s move.
Brad Keselowski details ‘stupid’ move made by Riley Herbst
When speaking to FOX motorsports reporter Josh Sims after Sunday’s race, Keselowski made it clear how he felt above the maneuver by Herbst that left him with a destroyed race car.
“Right here at the end, I had this huge run, and the 35 wrecked us. Really disappointing. He tore up the 9 [of Chase Elliott], he tore up the 22 [of Joey Logano], a bunch of cars that didn’t deserve to be wrecked. So, that was a big bummer and really stupid,” Keselowski said.
The co-owner of RFK Racing gave a more unfiltered opinion of Herbst’s move in an interview with FOX motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass.
Keselowski wasn’t sure if he would’ve caught leaders Tyler Reddick (#45) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47) before the finish, but he’ll never know after getting collected in the melee with Herbst.
“The 35 just wrecked me out of nowhere for no reason. That was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. He had no chance of blocking my run. I had a huge run. I don’t know if I could’ve gotten the 45 and 47, but I would’ve liked to have found out, because my run was coming fast. The 35 just wrecked us and himself. Pretty stupid,” Keselowski said.
Keselowski believes there’s a fine line between blocks, but Herbst’s move crossed that mark in his mind.
“One-lane block kinda makes sense, but to block from the very bottom all the way to the top and wreck yourself and everybody else is just stupid. Very, very stupid,” Keselowski said.
It’s understandable that Keselowski was frustrated as he’s still yet to win a Daytona 500. The Michigan native has made 17 starts in “The Great American Race,” with his best finish being third in 2014.
Brad Keselowski on first race after leg injury: ‘I felt really good in the car’
It was well-documented that Keselowski suffered a broken femur last December during a ski trip. With the injury, the beginning of his season was in question.
Ultimately, Keselowski would be cleared to race the week of the Daytona 500. After running 500 miles and getting involved in a last-lap crash, the 40-year-old said everything felt fine.
“I felt really good in the car, felt really good getting into the crash,” Keselowski said.
Keselowski is amid his fifth season with RFK Racing, a team he co-owns with Jack Roush. He’s won one race with the team, which came at Darlington in 2024.
Brad Keselowski Frustrated by Riley Herbst’s Daytona 500 Move