Talladega’s late-race chaos left Joey Logano upside down and Riley Herbst slamming into the wall head-on, but the aftermath raised questions beyond the wreck itself. As Logano’s No. 22 Ford came to rest on its roof, both the broadcast and NASCAR’s safety crew focused on the three-time champion’s escape and trip to the infield care center. Herbst, meanwhile, had to wait for assistance after his violent impact in the 23XI Racing Toyota, raising concerns about how quickly safety workers reached him. Leaked team radio has since added another layer to the controversy surrounding NASCAR’s response.

“Yeah, I’m okay, thank you. It was a Big One, but just thank you to 23XI Toyota for their support. It’s been an up-and-down year to say the least, so I thought we had a shot at it there at the end. We got shuffled out a little bit but came back and ultimately just got caught up in that wreck at Talladega. My dad always said if you’re gonna be dumb, you better be tough. So cheers,” Riley Herbst said on USA Sports postrace show.

Herbst tried to brush off the frightening experience with humor, but his battered No. 35 Toyota told a much grimmer story. The 23XI Racing driver was caught in the 15-car pileup with five laps remaining in Sunday’s YellaWood 500.

While Joey Logano’s overturned Ford became the immediate focus, Herbst endured two violent impacts that left his team desperately trying to establish whether he was okay. The radio audio that followed has since raised uncomfortable questions about NASCAR’s response to drivers caught in the same wreck.

The crash began on Lap 183 when Logano’s No. 22 Ford got loose after contact from Carson Hocevar while the outside lane stacked up behind Ross Chastain. Logano struck the outside wall and then flipped onto his roof after further contact with Chase Briscoe. As cars scattered across the tri-oval, Herbst was caught in the chain reaction. His Toyota hit the outside wall before bouncing back across the track and slamming into the inside SAFER barrier almost head-on.

The second impact was particularly alarming. Herbst’s car appeared to continue moving at considerable speed after the initial collision, prompting speculation from broadcaster Dale Jarrett that the car may have lost its brakes and possibly suffered a stuck throttle.

Neither issue has been confirmed as the cause. Herbst eventually climbed out with help from safety workers, and he was later seen leaving the infield medical center with his left wrist and forearm wrapped. He also had a soft cast on his left hand.

The urgency was evident in the No. 35 team’s radio communications. As the wreck unfolded, crew members told Herbst to hold the brakes and try to get the car pointed away from another impact. They warned him that he was going to hit again, then repeatedly asked whether he was alright.

“Are you alright? Talk to me. Talk to me please. You alright, Riley?” came the anxious call over the radio. The team also asked him to press the radio button if he needed to catch his breath, so they could at least confirm he was responsive. Herbst did not answer over the radio, intensifying the concern inside the 23XI camp.

The team’s anxiety escalated as they discussed the need for medical assistance. “We’re going to probably need medical,” one of the team members said.

According to radio audio that surfaced after the race, frustration soon followed as Herbst still had not responded and safety workers appeared focused on Joey Logano’s overturned car.

“They’re not coming to us. They’re going to the one upside down. Yellow at your official,” a team member said over the radio, highlighting the concern inside the 23XI Racing camp. The crew subsequently sought help from a nearby track official to get medical personnel to the No. 35 Toyota, fearing Herbst may have been injured after the violent second impact.

Logano’s situation was certainly serious. His car had landed upside down and slid along the track, requiring safety workers to turn it upright before he could exit. But the contrast in the response became the central concern for Herbst’s team: while crews worked around the No. 22, the No. 35 driver had absorbed a punishing double impact and was not responding to his team.

The available audio supports the concern and frustration, though it does not establish NASCAR’s intentions or prove that officials deliberately prioritized Logano over Herbst. The incident nevertheless raised a legitimate question about how safety crews assess multiple drivers after a major crash, particularly when one car is visibly overturned, and another has suffered a severe impact against a barrier.