• Saturday’s PENZOIL 250, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

WINNER: RILEY HERBST

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – In one of the most dramatic Xfinity Series finishes in recent memory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst took the lead in the final corner of the final lap to claim his first victory of the season in Saturday’s Pennzoil 250 – formally punching his ticket to the 2024 Playoffs.

Three different drivers led the final three laps in the series’ return to the famous speedway’s 2.5-mile oval after four years of competing on the track’s road course. Ultimately, the 25-yearold Herbst drove his No. 98 SHR Ford sideways exiting Turn 4 to negotiate his way past veteran Aric Almirola and race off to a .167-second win over his SHR teammate Cole Custer and Almirola.

Custer led Lap 98. Almirola led Lap 99. And Herbst held the lead for the most important, Lap 100. The three were three-wide on the white flag lap, signaling one lap to-go with Almirola taking the white flag out front. Herbst caught him and dove low to claim the lead coming out of Turn 4 on the next lap and Custer raced past Almirola in the closing feet to give SHR a 1-2 finish.

Almirola, 40, making his first start in Xfinity since May 11, finished third in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Rookie Shane van Gisbergen finished a strong fourth-place. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed finished fifth. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill rallied to a sixth-place finish.