NASCAR’s doubleheader season opener at Daytona was filled with the usual high-octane drama, close finishes, and spectacular crashes. The fiery spirit of Daytona roared beyond the checkered flag, however. In the United Rentals 300, a controversial penalty on the rising star of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ford Mustang, Riley Herbst, drew the ire of 3-time 500 winner, Denny Hamlin.

The 24-year-old was one of five drivers that ran a combined ‘800 miles’ in both the Cup as well as Xfinity season-openers on Monday. Starting in 36th position after finishing 24th in the Duels, Herbst displayed promising moments during the race, reaching the top 10 at one point. However, a late pit stop setback and the unpredictability of Daytona’s last laps left him finishing in 24th place.

Denny Hamlin Throws Down Gauntlet After Herbst Penalty

In the subsequent United Rentals 300 of the Xfinity Series, Herbst faced more challenges. A multi-car crash with eight laps remaining forced a final restart, and Herbst was handed a pass-through penalty for a restart violation. However, a caution at the right moment allowed him to serve the penalty without going a lap down. Remarkably, Herbst climbed to a sixth-place finish, showcasing his resilience on the track.

Hamlin, a veteran in the NASCAR world, expressed his dissatisfaction with the penalty imposed on Herbst during the NXS season opener. Hamlin, who finished 19th in the Daytona 500 after a massive late-stage pileup, remarked on the recent episode of his podcast, ‘Actions detrimental’. 

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“I don’t like that at all. He’s got a point – in the sense of like – ‘NASCAR, I can’t be in front of them’… That was a traveling call when traveling happens all the time. That was tough to take Riley out of the race, with a few laps to go, on that,” he said.

Hamlin highlighted the need for technology to play a role in officiating, drawing parallels to other sports. He emphasized, “In racing, we just rely on – well, that’s the call – and we have no explanation of why. We need an explanation of why.”

Hamlin urged NASCAR to implement instant replays, stating, “We need more explanation… because you just telling us ‘it’s a violation’ is great. We need replays to show if is that the right call or not… because this is a ball or strike call. You know, I would like confirmation whether it was a ball or not!”

Watch This Story: Denny Hamlin Reveals Heartwarming Reason Behind Keeping The Winning Checkered Flag

SHR #98 Finishes Strong Despite Penalty

Herbst, a rising star in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, made his mark in the 2024 Daytona 500, even climbing into the top 10 at one point, driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing. Reflecting on the race, Herbst expressed his thoughts in a post-race release by Speedway Digest, stating, “We did our best to stay out of trouble and probably would’ve been in a good position if we didn’t have to spend some extra time on pit road early on.”

Switching gears to the Xfinity Series, Riley Herbst found redemption at the United Rentals 300. Driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the #98 Mustang, he started in the 11th position and impressively finished 6th, placing him third in the 2024 Xfinity points table. This marked Herbst’s fifth Top-10 finish in 10 career NXS starts. Despite facing a pass-through penalty for a restart violation, Herbst navigated the challenging circumstances strategically. Meanwhile, RCR’s Austin Hill emerged victorious in the United Rentals 300, claiming his third consecutive victory at the NXS season-opener at Daytona.

In the words of Herbst himself, “We raced for I think a whole lap and a half, and then there was a caution, and NASCAR called that I laid back to my teammate on the restart.” The intricacies of NASCAR officiating and the unpredictable nature of the races are necessary to keep fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn of this exciting new season.

NASCAR News: Austin Hill Joins Tony Stewart As He Becomes Another Driver To Win At Least Three Consecutive February Races At Daytona