While all eyes were locked on the intense street fight between Shane Van Gisbergen and Christopher Bell in Mexico City on the closing laps, chaos was erupting further back in the field, and fans were fuming. Piloting the No. 35 Toyota for Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing, Riley Herbst quickly found himself at the center of controversy.

Riley Herbst, a 26-year-old rookie from Las Vegas, got the green light to pilot the No. 35 this season. The team expanded to a three-car lineup, joining Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. Herbst had the best start of his season by qualifying 15th, even outperforming his veteran teammates, showing great promise, especially on a tough road circuit at high altitude.

However, all these hopes came crashing down. The Mexico outing looked like his next step forward, but the fans were not having it, and their reactions were like a ticking time bomb, calling for Denny Hamlin to take action.

Fans are angered by Riley Herbst, demanding action from Denny Hamlin

On lap 73, Herbst made contact with William Byron while battling for 13th place. Exiting turn 11, his car snapped around and spun right back into the traffic, nearly collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the process.  NASCAR Insider Jeff Gluck did not waste time in sharing this update on X, as the fans in the comment sections went wild, posting, “Wow, almost a wild crash with Riley Herbst! He spun back around across traffic!!” What looked like a simple misjudgment turned into a flashpoint online, as fans are calling for Herbst to be benched!

“What was he thinking, bro?” one fan posted on X in utter disbelief. Another record of growing sentiment, with people thinking Corey Heim should have been driving this race: “Heim wouldn’t have done that.” “Driver and spotter should be parked immediately. And be suspended next week. That was some ARCA-level idiocy,” one fan posted, while another roasted, “Please park the 35; he’s a liability.” 

Well, road course racing is no easy task, and Riley Herbst had his work cut out at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday. Herbst, known for his Monster Energy sponsorship and strong Xfinity resume, is still finding his footing in the Cup Series in his rookie year. But with Denny Hamlin’s rising star Corey Heim waiting in the wings and fan pressure mounting, the calls to bench Riley have never been louder.

Meanwhile, Corey Heim has been absolutely dominating the Truck Series in 2025 with 4 wins and 8 top-5 finishes in just 13 races! Denny Hamlin has claimed that he feels Heim is head and shoulders above his peers in NASCAR’s this tier, so it’s only a matter of time before he moves up, but will it be replacing Riley Herbst?

Riley Herbst had clawed his way up to 8th by Stage 2 to grab three stage points, and it looks like the kind of performance that could silence the skeptics. But after pitting on lap 67 and the incident on 73, the fan base was losing its patience. And after Mexico, every lap run by him will be under the microscope. Meanwhile, another rookie who had a lot to prove this weekend at Mexico City delivered handsomely on the expectations.

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SVG leaves his mark as he dominates the Viva Mexico 250

While the drama unfolded behind him, rookie Shane van Gisbergen was putting on an absolute clinic at the front. The three-time supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, showed the NASCAR world exactly why he’s the real deal, leading a career-best 60 laps and crushing the competition in Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250. In just his 16th Cup Series start, the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing driver secured his second career win dominantly, crossing the line a staggering 16.57 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell.

SVG didn’t just win; he decimated. After rain gave way to dry conditions, he chased down Ty Gibbs and built up a comfortable lead. Even after pitting late to swap back to faster tires, he never looked back. The victory came in style on a twisting international layout—NASCAR’s first point-paying race outside the US since 1958 in Toronto. And it felt every bit as epic as it sounds. Fans in Mexico City got a show, and Shane delivered the exclamation point with a burnout that sent tire smoke and cheers flying. “This is epic,” he grinned after the checkered.

Ty Gibbs gave out everything he had, leading most of Stage 2 and running toe-to-toe with SVG until misfortune struck. Carson Hocevar spun in a blind corner on lap 66, bringing out a caution that completely flipped the script. Gibbs, who had yet to pit, was forced to make a late stop under yellow and lost valuable track position, effectively ending his shot at a maiden cup win.

While others scrambled, SVG stayed ice cold. He took the Stage 2 win at lap 45, then managed the chaos like a veteran. With this victory, he not only reminded everyone of his road racing pedigree but also secured a surprise ticket to the playoffs, despite sitting 33rd in points before the green flag dropped. If this was a preview of what’s to come, the rest of the Cup grid better buckle up. Shane Van Gisbergen is no longer just a new guy; he is the international storm NASCAR didn’t see coming.