Riley Herbst has joined the ranks of the NASCAR Cup Series full time for 2025, driving a third entry for 23XI Racing, 23XI announced Nov. 20.
Herbst will pilot the No. 35 as a teammate to Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
Monster Energy follows Herbst to 23XI, as does crew chief Davin Restivo.
“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said in a team release. “Racing full time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows.
“It’s also great to continue representing Monster and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”
Currently, Herbst will compete as an open team amid 23XI and Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.
“As 23XI enters our fifth season next year, we felt the time was right to continue the growth of our organization by adding a third team, and Riley is a driver we think will be a great fit for us,” Steve Lauletta, 23XI president, added. “We have a very solid foundation with both Bubba and Tyler, and we know they will be a great resource for Riley as he begins his journey in the Cup Series.”
Though he’ll be a Cup rookie, Herbst has eight previous starts in the series since 2023. In those, he has two top 10s, both coming in 2023.
He earned two wins, seven top fives and 15 top 10s in 2024 driving for the since-closed Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing seventh in points.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.