Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford Shell, sits on the track during the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 25, 2026 in Talladega, Alabama. Getty
Leo Herbst, driver of the #35 Monster Energy Toyota, took a hit against the wall Sunday at Talladega. Getty
Denny Hamlin says one shot like the one Leo Herbst took at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday would end the race right away.
Herbst left Sunday’s wreck with a sprained left wrist, leaving open the question of whether the 23rd XI Racing driver will be ready for Martinsville Underwater next weekend.
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Crash broke out on the tri-oval with five laps remaining in the YellaWood 500. Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford pulled off the bump from Carson Hocevar, pushed the outside of the wall and collided with Chase Briscoe’s car, then slid on its roof for about 20 seconds, according to RACER reporter Kelly Crandall.
Herbst, caught in a chain reaction, hit the outside wall with the right side of his No. 35 Toyota. The car then threw itself across the track and hit the inner wall almost head-on at high speed, apparently not on the brakes. Kyle Larson went on to win the race.
Hamlin: ‘My leisure shall be made at once’
Hamlin, who finished 23rd in the 23rd XI Racing and eighth on the day, broke down the breakdown with Jared Allen as the co-host of his weekly podcast.
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“I can see where Joey’s room was, but Leo Herbst’s shot was just brutal. Two of them,” Hamlin said. Detrimental actions podcast
“I can barely move today because I pulled a freaking back yesterday before the race, but I can’t hit the wall like Leo did,” Hamlin said. “My retirement would be restored immediately if I got to hit it.”
Hamlin injured his back before the green flag while lifting his son, Drusus, between the door and the stairwell. “When I pulled it out, I immediately felt my back go,” he said.
Hamlin considered Logano’s flip to be more of a routine overriding event.
GettyJoey Logano, driver of the #22 Pennzoil Ford Shell, sits on the track during the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 25, 2026 in Talladega, Alabama.
“The vision was to push from 77, which is not out of order on the track,” he said. “The tri-oval is a tough spot to pull off, but it can be done.”
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The 77 car is driven by Carson Hocevar. Hamlin told Hocevar to check his glasses for the run when he looked and made contact with Logan’s No. He did 22
“It’s the only kind of one-of-a-kind racing that happens,” Hamlin said.
Ley Herbst Injury Update Before Martinsville
Hamlin offered an early lesson on Herbst’s condition.
“Some bumps and bruises; we’ll see how it goes. Obviously, his wrist isn’t great, so he’ll press on this week,” he said. “He took one of the biggest hits on this car, maybe.”
Herbst left the infield with center care with his left wrist wrapped.
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“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you. That was a big one,” Herbst told USA Sports, as quoted Racing News. “My father always said, ‘If you’re dumb, you’d better be tough.'” So, cheers.
GettyRiley Herbst, driver of the Monster Energy Toyota #35, took a brutal hit against the wall at Talladega on Sunday.
No public diagnosis emerged beyond involvement. Herbst missed the Daytona race due to injury earlier this season.
Hamlin also addressed social media questions about how quickly the No. 35 Herbst crew arrived.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, the medical staff can do everything,” he said. “I don’t know how long it took, whether it was appropriate or too long.”
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The Cup Series heads to Martinsville Underwater for the Xfinity 500 on Nov. 1. Herbst is entered in No. 35 Toyota, second JayskiEnter the posted list, which shows 37 cars for 40 spots. 23XI Racing announced not later.
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This article was first published in GRAVIS
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