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Riley Herbst makes intriguing comment on Atlanta when pressed on new NASCAR right side tire

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones02/19/26brianjones_93

Riley Herbst had some interesting things to say about the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta on Sunday. On the inaugural episode of The Gluckcast, which was released on Thursday, host Jeff Gluck asked Herbst about his thoughts on the Atlanta race and if he knows what the new right-side tire will do on the track.

“No, that’s above my pay grade,” Riley Herbst said. “I do know that Atlanta continues to wear, so that’s cool. I think people reach and dream for old Daytona, and I think Atlanta’s the closest thing you have to it right now.

“I hope fans enjoy the race. I think tires will mean more than they did last year, like they did the previous year. You’ve got to keep putting your name in the hat, and if you’re there at the end, that’s all you can ask for. Hopefully, we’ll have another shot at it.”

Can Riley Herbst have a strong finish at the NASCAR Atlanta race?

EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta repaved and reprofiled the track in 2022 to make it similar to the superspeedways, which is why Herbst said it’s close to what Daytona International Speedway was in the past. Herbt’s comments come after NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick expressed his enjoyment of watching races at the Atlanta track.

On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick said, “As a competitor, I was like, ‘This is the dumbest thing that we’ve ever done in the world of racing.’ But it’s turned into the coolest race on the schedule.” Harvick went on to say that the way drivers attack the Atlanta track makes him “excited” because it’s “super intriguing to watch how the things that they have to do and the way that the car has to handle.”

Herbst is looking to have a strong run in Atlanta after earning a P8 finish at the Daytona 500. The finish didn’t come without controversy, as Brad Keselowski called him out for wrecking him during the final lap.

Sunday will be Herbst’s third time competing at Atlanta as a Cup Series driver. His previous two came last year, finishing 17th in February and 28th in June.